If It's Worth Saving Me
by Alisha Ashton
Summary: With the eclipse behind them DG finds that life as a Princess isn't all the fairytales made it out to be. Weighed down by rules, duty and loneliness, can the unlikely friendship of a certain Tin Man make her feel that 'there's no place like home' again?
1. Who Are They?

_**Description/Synopsis: **With the eclipse behind them DG finds that life as a Princess isn't all the fairytales made it out to be. Weighed down by rules, duty and loneliness, can the unlikely friendship of a certain Tin man make her feel that 'there's no place like home' again?_

_**Characters/Pairings: **All of our beloved friends from the OZ, but mainly focusing on DG, Cain, Jeb and Glitch. Eventual pairing of DG/Cain (fangirl sigh)  
___

_**Fic Rating:** R (Possible NC-17 for future chapters)_

**Genres: **Comedy/Angst/Adventure/Romance...and last, but NEVER least, snerk this just wouldn't be a fic of mine if it didn't eventually include SMUT!!

**Warning: **Will include **massive** levels of Cain/DG fluff, the likes of which should never be consumed in single-sittings. May cause swooning and profuse sweating for Cain-shippers. Author will not be held liable for any sleep deprivation caused by Cain fantasies.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any characters of the SciFi smash hit Tin Man, if I did I would be otherwise entertaining myself at the moment saving a horse, riding a cowboy...and wearing that fedora while doing it. hehehe

* * *

You know what?

_**Screw** _princess lessons.

_**Screw** _magic lessons, tutor and suitors.

_**Screw** _the entire palace and every inch of its cold marble.

_**Screw** _'duty', 'the responsibilities of royalty', 'expectations' and _**definitely** _screw 'princessly etiquette'.

DG was getting away from it all today.

She'd spent an entire week planning this little adventure and nothing was going to stand in her way. An intricate web of white lies had been spun the night before for her family's benefit...as well as her two wardens.

That's right, I said _TWO_ wardens.

Fate, it seemed, could not get any crueler than having not one, but BOTH Cain men posted as your babysitters.

They took shifts. _SHIFTS_ for God's sake so there wasn't a moment of peace from their watchful gaze.

Wyatt, of course, seemed to be ever present - regardless of whether it was his turn or not.

The entire OZ had decided that upon her return she had spontaneously changed to the same consistancy as a sheet of glass. Completely delicate and breakable, incapable of so much as making her own bed or lifting a finger to help in a chore.

It was _infuriating._

Instead of working at the diner, going to school and fixing farm equipment, her days in the four months since the eclipse had been filled with the monotony of learning what was _expected _of her as a princess and entertaining pompous windbag pretty-boys who sought to _'court' _her.

_COURT _HER!!

What the _hell _was someone raised an all American girl supposed to do with THAT nonsense?

She wore her now familiar and painful fake-smile whenever she got stuck suffering through a lunch or walk in the gardens with them.

"Gardens"...she snorted sarcastically at that word. You could paint a mural on the inside of a prison cell and it didn't make a difference how pretty it was, it still couldn't change the fact that you were on lockdown.

It was irrelevant at this point how enchanting Finaqua had seemed the first time she'd been there... again... after... since... _whatever! _She shook her head still trying to make sense of her fragmented memory. Alright, it didn't matter how enchanting Finaqua had seemed _the day she'd restored it_...there, that'll do...because after living inside the confines of its walls it had very quickly lost its appeal.

DG wanted wide open spaces again. It boggled her mind that she'd spent so many years wishing herself away from Kansas, and now here she was longing for nature as far as the eye could see. She'd finally been returned to her rightful home and now found it more confining than anything she'd experienced back at the farm. She felt trapped in her own skin now, stir-crazy, restless...and _lonely..._

Azkadellia didn't seem to mind the rules so she couldn't even commiserate with her own sister about how stifled she felt. It seemed like the last thing she wanted to bring up with Az, any way. She felt her sister would be fully justified if she turned to her and said, "Really? Yeah, I felt that way when someone handed me over the witch and left me a prisoner inside my own body for a decade or so...but hey, I can _totally _see how living here in the palace is rough for you."

And needless to say she wouldn't be asking her sister to tag along on another little "adventure" in the forest with her...we all know how the last one turned out...

She hadn't had fun in so long she was starting to forget what it was like.

Even her _friends _were now treating her like a princess, which might sound nice in theory but it didn't exactly allow for humor or bonding time when they were so careful of their words and wanted to _bow _when she entered the room. Talk about making a girl feel out of place. How was she supposed to horse around with the guys after seeing that? Joking around with them seemed to make them uncomfortable nowadays, they saw her for her role - not for who she was - not for DG. It was heartbreaking to endure their polite smiles and mindful conversations.

So she'd fibbed to her mother that it was 'that time of the month'. Not knowing whether the words 'period', 'PMS', 'cramps' or 'bloating' were used here but figuring that the Queen was bound to at least understand the reference to its schedule. In the months prior she'd only spoken to Az about it and had been thoroughly relieved to find that at least basic hygeine products were the same in the OZ as on the Other Side.

She said she was feeling particularly bad this month and just wanted to sleep in, that she was feeling drained and needed to rest, that she had a terrible headache and stomach pains...as much fibbing as she could squeeze in before her mother finally gave in and let her have the following day off from lessons.

And this was that day. _HER _day. She could sneak out and roam freely, enjoy the surrounding countryside, get a breath of fresh air without all of the restrictions that had been thrust upon her...

She knew that once she got back all hell would break lose, but frankly she didn't care. If she asked to leave the palace she'd be sent with a small army of guards and couldn't stand the supervision anymore. It was like she was 8 years old again.

She was confident that her use of a womanly excuse would keep the _Cain-inators _at bay.

No guy liked to broach that subject so she wasn't entirely surprised to find the hall outside her door empty when she stuck her head out to check. She smiled that they figured she'd just spend the day in bed and marvelled at her own genius as she crept out as quiet as a mouse. It was still too early for even the staff to be stirring and she used their stairwells and doors to work her way through the labyrinth of the palace and out to the "Gardens" (the thought earned another sarcastic snort).

There were guards posted at various locations around the perimeter wall, but DG had been watching them for days on end and found that while they were extremely concerned with someone _entering _the palace, they failed to secure the locations where a person could hop over the wall to get _out_.

Her hair was pulled back in a high pony tail and she was wearing her jeans and a black "undershirt"...which was really a tank top, forgoing her jacket because the OZ's equivalent of a summer, though they called it some other weird name that escaped her memory, was pretty damned hot.

She climbed up a tree along side the wall and took a deep breath hoping for the best as she dropped the 14 feet to the grass below. It wasn't a graceful landing, that was for _damned _sure, but at least she'd managed to pull it off without injury. She got back to her feet slowly, testing out her joints and smiling when she found no agony present.

Under the cover of darkness she managed to avoid detection as she scurried off toward the forest, trying her best not to let the excited laughter fall from her lips that she'd just pulled a prison-break for the second time in just a few months. This time there was no Cain and Glitch and Raw to help her, they now fell under the heading of 'captors'.

She broke into a run the instant she was surrounded by trees, beyond thrilled to be doing something so "reckless". She couldn't even pull off a fast walk inside the palace without someone fretting that she might (_gasp!)_ 'hurt herself'. Heaven forbid, not THAT! Whatever would she do if she were to skin a knee?

Trees passed by in a blur as she raced on, desperately trying to leave her worries behind. She ran until her legs grew weary and lungs threatened to burst, then ran some more, and a little longer still. Before long she found herself at the edge of the 'crack' in the OZ.

She stared down to its depths with wide eyes, finding its heights all at once terrifying and freeing. She supposed she could feel disappointed to have run out of room, but finally decided _fair enough_, it would keep her from wandering too far from the palace to get back before nightfall. She set up a landmark for herself with branches and rocks so that she could find her way back to Finaqua, no matter how far she traveled along the edge of the chasm if she reached this point she knew a straight line in the opposite direction would lead her right back to the palace.

But further exploration would have to wait. A contented sigh escaped her lips as she flopped down on a large stone and crossed her legs beneath herself. For now, she had the best seat in the OZ to watch the sun..._suns_...rise.

It was as beautiful as it had been the day she'd seen it from the hot air balloon with Ahamo..._her...(gulp)...__**father**__... _

Okay, so she was still having a hard time with that. Maybe it was just the muttonchops that were throwing her off...but some day she really hoped she'd feel close to him again. It had been easier for her to come to grips with having lavender eyes as a mom, likely because she was the face and voice that had always been at the edge of her dreams growing steadily clearer through the years.

She pushed the subject from her mind and growled in frustration, that wasn't why she was out here. She shook her head trying to clear her thoughts. This was supposed to be a _distraction _from her worries, not a time to focus on them without interuption.

But before she had a chance to decide what she wanted to do or which direction she wanted to explore first a twig snapped behind her.

She just about turned herself inside out trying to spin toward the source of the noise, her jaw dropping open the instant she did.

"_How...in the..._" She began, her eyes ready to pop out of her skull.

There, in all his fedora-rocking glory, stood her head warden complete with the thin branch he'd just snapped to get her attention in his hands and a look of _supreme _displeasure on his face.

The heat of his glare had her wishing she could crawl beneath the rock she was seated on and wait out the avalanche of admonishment that was threatening to fall from her Tin Man's mouth.

"Let's...Go...**NOW**." He ground out and she yelped (literally _YELPED!_) at the finality in his tone.

She stood slowly, eyes downcast as he turned and began stalking away until her mind realized that A) she'd had less than an hour of peace before he'd come to take it away from her and B) she had to go _back_ now.

Her temper flared at the idea of her mother and..._father_...(alright, yeah it was still creepy) giving her those looks of disapproval and saying that much hated "we're _disappointed_ in you" line.

Words burst from her without much thought as to what she would say.

"_Damn it_, Cain! You just can't leave me alone for _two seconds _can you?" She screamed, a bit unsure of herself at first as he clenched his jaw and cast a challenging gaze over his shoulder. But to hell with that, she was fed up with playing the princess. Her hands were flailing dramatically as she spoke, her face red as she launched into a tirade. "I'm not a little kid, _okay?_ I can go out in the freaking woods without an armed escort! Do you _realize _how pathetic it is that I have to sneak out just to be alone for a few minutes? I'm not going back yet, and _that's that_. You can't force me to. So short of you throwing me over your shoulder and dragging me kicking and screaming all the way back to the palace I'm staying right here, Tin Man." She crossed her arms over her chest, her features hardened in anger as she nodded her head once for emphasis.

Cain's brow arched and her stomach tried to leave her body and run in the other direction...or at least that's what it felt like it was doing in there upon seeing the dreaded eyebrow.

"_**Fine**_..." He growled through those clenched teeth and oh, for a fraction of a fleeting milisecond hope glimmered within her. That had been so much easier than she'd thought it would be. It was high time the man started listening to her...why if she'd known it would be that simple...But her celebration was very abruptly cut short when he started towards her and finished his sentence, "we'll do it _your way_, Princess."

She knew she looked like a fool, the way her jaw dropped open and eyes bugged out. "Wait, **WHAT**?" She screached, taking several steps back and holding up a hand, stopping him for the moment. "You're not...you _wouldn't_...CAIN??...You can't be serious!"

_Au contraire, Princesse_...the look on his face said otherwise.

"But...but...but..." She stammered uselessly. The fight was leaving her as she stared at the unwavering resolution and anger in his features.

Her nostrils flared with the need to sob as she thought to herself, _he honestly doesn't care why I'm out here, it's his duty to keep me locked up in that palace and that's exactly what he intends to do_.

Her heart fractured inside her chest and she clenched her jaw trying not to cry. Why was she always giving herself these delusions of friendship with people who couldn't care less about her?

If anything she was in denial of the truth, desperately avoiding having to admit to herself that they had only helped her because it was necessary to save the OZ. Now that the mission was over she had just faded away into the background in their minds...

The thought alone turned her stomach and she held up her chin trying to fight back the pain.

No more delusions, no more denial. She was alone and it was time to come to terms with that. It was her punishment for all the suffering she'd wrought on the people she'd come to care about, the people she'd told herself cared for her in return.

She let out a bitter laugh and stared at him in disbelief for a second. "You know what? _**Whatever**_. Let's just go then..." She said, her face falling from defiance to devastation as she cut around him and started the long trek back to her gilded cage.

She was sure she was out of earshot when she began pouting to herself..."_I don't know why I thought you'd listen to **me** anyway...you're just doing your **job**...just like everybody else..._"

But DG hadn't taken into account the fact that a _Cain_ earshot went far beyond a normal earshot. He'd heard every word she said, and _continued _to hear every word she said to herself for the rest of the walk back to Finaqua.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Fic title inspired by the Cain/DG video "Savin Me" posted by Mercsire on YouTube (I ADORE that video and her, so go check it out and leave her some love! Tell her BadGirl sent you ;) haha It's definitely great for a Cain/DG fix. )


	2. Other Side Customs 101

He marched her right back through the front gates and she thought to herself bitterly that the only thing missing were shackles on her wrists to make the scene complete.

That entire time he'd stayed silent, other than his "Let's go right now" and "Fine...we'll do it _your _way, Princess" lines he hadn't said a single word to her. Fitting, she felt, seeing how he was just a warden bringing in a prisoner to serve her life sentence in the Finaqua penitentiary.

She barely looked up until they'd reached her room, and even then it was only to find Jeb standing there, waiting for them. His expression was the same as Wyatt's, that stern disapproval for her recklessness as he opened the door and motioned for her to walk inside. It was no surprise when she heard it close behind her without either of them sticking around to make small talk.

Just an hour and a half since dawn, Jeb's shift, and she knew he was going to stand out there making sure she didn't try to sneak away again without ever lowering himself to speak to her.

Her bottom lip trembled as she stared back at the closed door over her shoulder.

She deserved this, she knew, but it didn't make it any easier to face it.

Depression was an _ugly_ thing, her perception of everyone and everything was rapidly warping and darkening to match her mood.

So she did the only thing she could do...

She curled up in a little ball on her bed and cried softly to herself, wallowing in loneliness despite being surrounded by hundreds of people.

* * *

Jeb and Wyatt stood outside of her door in shared silence as they listened to the muffled sobs that were making it past the pillow she was burying her head beneath. It was difficult to stay angry with her for putting herself in danger when you were hearing a thing like that so Jeb followed his father's lead, turning away and pretending not to be phased by it.

But unbeknownst to Jeb, his father was having a harder time dealing with it than he was.

Wyatt had grown rather fond of that quirky little girl sobbing behind the door at his back and he had not only _heard_ her muttered words as she hung her head and shuffled home to the palace, he'd _listened_ to her. He had to admit he was growing steadily more concerned by it.

He'd noticed the fire in her eyes dying out in the past month, the way she stopped cracking jokes and trying to play games with them, the way her easy smile was fading. Something was really bothering her and judging by the fragmented words she'd said thinking he'd never catch them she was under the impression for some reason that she'd become nothing more than a figurine in a case for display, that no one really saw her anymore.

She made it sound as if he didn't care...had said he was just doing his job...that everyone else was as well...

But didn't she understand that certain rules applied in the royal palace? They couldn't exactly roll up their sleeves and let loose, just ignore propriety and speak to her with anything short of reverence in the house of the royal family, it simply wasn't how things were done.

He inclined his head to Jeb and took his leave, a million DG-induced questions swirling in his mind as he started off in no particular direction through the palace.

What was the big attraction for a Princess to be out in the forest, any way? Why did he suddenly feel badly for bringing her back?

And what did she need to be alone for? Why was she acting so unaccustomed to the level of protection she was receiving?

She was the _**Princess**_, and even if she wasn't aware of that fact while on the Other Side she'd most certainly been watched over just as diligently during her time there. Her nurture units had been aware of her true identity, they would have taken every necessary precaution to keep her safe..._right_?

But that's not what his gut was telling him. DG's fiery attitude and bravery seemed uncharacteristic of the life he was envisioning her having during those years away from the OZ.

Something just wasn't adding up and by the time he realized where he was going he'd already stopped outside the doors of Hank and Emily's quarters at the far end of the palace. He hadn't seen them around much and knew the damage done by the witch's rewiring was taking some time to correct.

DG missed them more than she'd let on, he assumed for the benefit of Ahamo and the Queen, so Glitch (not Ambrose because even after the surgery he was still inconsistent to say the least) had been spending most of his free time trying to restore their original programming. His knowledge had been returned to him along with his brain, but it didn't stop the synapse misfires from making conversations with him a bit of a challenge. At Glitch's request no one told DG what he was trying to do, not wanting to build her hopes up in case it didn't work out.

Wyatt sighed and knocked, wondering whether it would be the nurture units of DG or the witch who would answer this time. The door opened slowly and Emily peered out at him, the warmth of her smile telling him that today was a good day.

"Morning. I was wondering if I could ask you and Hank a few questions." He said quietly, not wanting his words to carry to any of the ever-nosy members of the palace staff who might be right around the corner.

"Good morning, Mr. Cain. Certainly, come on in." She said sweetly, opening the door the rest of the way and waving him inside.

"Thank you kindly." He said as he entered, inclining his head to Hank where he was seated across the room.

"What can we do you for, Mr. Cain?" Hank asked, tilting his head curiously and Wyatt sighed, trying to sort out a few of the more important questions from the stack in his mind as he took a seat across from the cyborg.

"Well, I was wondering if you could tell me a little about your time on the Other Side with DG. She seems to be having a hard time adjusting to her return and I was curious as to what her life was like before the storm brought her back here."

Emily's face twisted in pain and Hank put an arm around her as she sank to the couch beside him. "Oh, our poor little girl..." She said softly, putting a hand to her mouth.

And **_this_** was precisely why nurture units were never used unless a child was orphaned.

These weren't just robots, they had the capacity for emotion. Hank and Emily were able to _feel _parenthood, to them DG was just as much their child as Jeb was his...but they had willingly accepted her as their charge knowing how painful it would be to return her. It was difficult to watch their despair at no longer seeing her. Wyatt found himself looking down at his hands waiting for Emily to gather her thoughts.

He heard her clear her throat and sigh before she spoke. "Well...she was just about seven years..._annuals_...old, forgive me, that's what they call it there. Seven _annuals_ old when we arrived so she had to go to school like any normal child there would. I remember the first time she had to ride on the bus like it was yesterday." She smiled warmly as she recalled it. "She watched us out the window with those big, blue eyes of hers...her memories were still so hazy, you know...but we had to get her acclimated to a life on the Other Side in a hurry before anyone became suspicious. I remember being so afraid that she would say or do something the other children would find strange...but she was one of the only children who _**didn't**_ cry when the bus drove away. She just waved to us and smiled. Right then we knew she'd be alright..." Hank gave Emily a look of reassurance as that haunted expression came to her face.

But Wyatt had only heard one tiny blurb from the very first _week_ DG had spent away from the OZ and was already holding up a hand in confusion. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure I follow. What exactly do you mean 'the bus _**drove away**_'?"

His jaw was flexing rhythmically as he watched Emily and Hank exchange knowing smiles.

"Mr. Cain...just how familiar are you with customs on the Other Side?" Hank began.

Wyatt was already getting the feeling he wasn't going to like this conversation.

* * *

Two hours later he closed the door behind himself and had to lean against it to take in everything he'd just heard.

He decided fairly quickly that he wasn't a fan of the Other Side.

He envisioned loading Jeb up at that tender age and shipping him off with a bus of other children into Central City to attend a place where he'd be taught his grammar, math, history and so forth by total strangers, not returning home until the suns were nearly setting and even then having to bring books along with him to do more assignments at home.

It didn't leave much time for a childhood in his mind. At that age Jeb had been taught those things by his mother in the comfort and protection of his home, had been watched over and kept safe from harm as he played on their land...and he hadn't even been **royalty**.

The Princess of the OZ...on a bus...with no protection...headed to a city with a bunch of strangers...when she was SEVEN.

The idea of a big yellow school bus was much more threatening and perilous in his perception than what it was considered to be on the Other Side.

His shock had grown steadily worse as the cyborgs had reached her high school years, her rebuilding that old 'motorcycle' by hand so she would have her own transportation to...WORK...

That's right, _work_.

As in, menial labor performed for minimum wages type _employment_.

Oh yes, the very Princess of the OZ had been pulling shifts at a run-down roadside diner in the middle of nowhere, _taking orders_, serving food to strangers without so much as a hint of supervision. The more he learned the less easily he was able to envision DG sitting under a 35 pound gown listening to the monotonous dronings of the royal council.

She'd been attending school during the day and then driving straight to her job in the evening...her nurture units only saw her when she rose in the morning and crashed at night.

She'd had _**boyfriends**_ (Wyatt cringed hearing that she'd been allowed to go on "dates" with these young men without so much as a single background check or bodyguard to accompany them) and gotten _speeding tickets_, she'd driven trucks and tractors, learned how to fix just about anything mechanical from Hank.

Wyatt had a hard time coming to terms with the definition of a 'tomboy', which evidently was exactly what he had on his hands. He'd been informed in a tone that misled him to believe he was about to hear nothing more shocking than the forecast that DG liked to play _sports..._

With _boys_...

As in full contact, wrestle to the ground in the mud type _sports_.

The fact still boggled his mind. At least now he was in favor of her wearing those pants, the thought of her taking part in such activities - having young men..._good God..._**tackling** her while in a dress horrified him.

For the past several annuals she had been allowed to come and go _as she pleased_...since on the Other Side it was customary for a child, no matter the sex of said child, to be given free reign when they reached their 18th birthday.

The thought of DG left to her own devices, wandering unchecked throughout the Other Side was greatly disturbing to him.

She'd continued working at the diner and attended 'college' (yet another 'school' after the first_ ten years_ of required education she'd endured) by _choice_. He had to admit he commended her for that, he doubted he would have lasted through even half of what sounded like daily torture...

_He would have lost his mind. Being cooped up inside a building full of strangers? Bored to death? Having useless information grilled into his head hour after hour, day after day when all he wanted to do was get out and_...

Wyatt's eyes grew large and he stopped mid-step in the middle of the hallway. "Ohhh..." he breathed in realization.

Talk about being handed the final piece to the puzzle.

DG was acting unaccustomed to her current lifestyle for good reason. She really, truly _**was**_ unprepared for it.

She had experienced a massive level of freedom on the Other Side and had still felt stifled by it, according to her nurture units. Now here she was, followed by a security detail any time she was out of the palace and accompanied by at the very least himself or Jeb where ever she went inside its walls.

She was accustomed to _touching_ people other than her family members and having them _touch _her, which as the Princess of the OZ was a major no-no...but at least now he understood the reasons for the whole hugging thing.

Wyatt ran a hand over his face as he thought this new dilemma through. He wasn't sure if it made him feel better or far worse that he could completely see where she was coming from...to the point where he was...o_h hell..._actually _sympathetic_ of her problem. He rolled his eyes at the thought.

So what was he supposed to do now? Rat her out for going into the woods without him? See her punished for being herself?

He tried to ignore the realization that he had a choice in the matter. The only people in the palace who knew what she had done that morning were himself and Jeb, he'd followed her without alerting the others somehow knowing that she hadn't intended to go far (and he had to admit he'd been too amused seeing her hop from that wall and high-tail it into the woods to bother sharing the moment).

But that was _DG_. That was just who she was.

If she were anything less than the person she'd grown to be then they'd all be in much different situations at that moment. It was her will to press on against all odds that had saved them.

Without her...or if she had been what everyone was currently trying to shape her into...the witch would have succeeded and the OZ would have fallen.

He wouldn't even know that the world had descended to darkness, he realized bitterly, because for him that day he'd been locked away would still be replaying beyond the window of his iron-suit.

He took a deep breath at that thought. Quite frankly every day that he had now, the sight of his son grown into a brave young man, the fresh air that filled his lungs, his second chance at life...he owed all of it to her.

And he'd been so busy worrying for her safety that he'd forgotten she needed freedom as well.

But he couldn't..._could he?_

He arched a skeptical brow at his own idea.

But there were rules...

_Yes, but the most troublesome would be the rules that **he** had put into place..._

Truth be told he'd been the driving force responsible for the current state of security in the palace. He saw threat in every shadow, worried for the safety of the royal family...

_That's not true...be honest..._

Alright, so it was pretty much just DG he was worried for.

Maybe he felt like he owed her this level of protection for all that she'd done for him, maybe he was just feeling like an overprotective parent or something, or maybe that day she'd been thrown over a stranger's shoulder and carried away while he was powerless to help her still bothered the hell out of him...the fear for her safety that he'd experienced in that moment would not soon be forgotten...

But it was smothering her.

It was choking the life out of that energetic little sprite who'd come charging in to help him with nothing more than a stick.

_Shit..._

His shoulders drooped in defeat. DG had won again.


	3. Like a Papay on the Trail of a Bunny

"_I hear you knockin...but you **CAIN**'t come in_..." DG sang to herself sarcastically under her pillow at the sound of Wyatt's familiar 'rise and shine, Princess' wrap on her door.

It stopped.

Not a sound for a moment and her brows lowered in aggravation knowing what was coming.

Wyatt Cain happened to be the most annoying alarm clock she'd ever met in her entire life.

Oh sure, he might let up for a little while...just long enough to lull her into a false sense of security...then...

"One..._twwwoooo_...three..." She whispered to herself angrily and _right on cue _that courteous knocking turned into a Tin Man equivalent of a side-fisted pound that should have been followed by '_NYPD! Open up!_'

She chucked her pillow at the door and growled in frustration, weighing out her options as she glared at the only thing standing between her and her punishment.

He wouldn't come in unless she told him she was clothed, she knew...not without some reason to believe she was in trouble...

But she _also _knew that man possessed the stubborn will required to stand there pounding on that door for the next **5 hours** if she didn't get up and answer him.

And he would do it gladly, that smirk on his face the entire time, _just to prove a point._

She sighed. No sense putting it off any longer...

It had only been a few hours since she'd been marched through her her door to await her trial-by-Tin-Man and she was surprised she'd gone this long without her verbal lashing...

DG looked down at her appearance and rolled her eyes, standing and going to her mirror to smooth out her clothes and hair and make sure her eyes weren't too puffy from the little pity-party she'd just thrown for herself.

_But what did it matter what she looked like anyway?_ She wondered as she stared at the reflection of the shell of her former self, her depression rearing its ugly head yet again. She took a deep breath, averting her eyes from the sadness in the mirror and going to the door, kicking her pillow to the side as she turned the knob and came face to face with Wyatt.

She wanted to say something rude, or snippy, or sarcastic...

But she also really, truly, _desperately _needed a hug.

Between the two desires she was left feeling empty and wound up simply walking away from him in a huff, crossing the room to one of her chairs by the window and flopping down in frustration, keeping her eyes from his at all costs.

Wyatt sighed and closed the door behind him quietly. It wasn't unheard of for him to be speaking to her privately, but it still wouldn't take much to get the rumor mill going and he had been careful not to give the vultures anything to feed on.

"Look..." He started once he was standing in front of her, running a hand over his face and trying to get what he would say in order, but DG cut him off.

"How?" She asked through clenched teeth and his brow furrowed in confusion.

"How what?" He asked as he sank down in a chair across from her. It didn't help matters because she still had no intention of looking at him.

"How...in the _hell_...did you know I was gonna bolt?" She said with her eyes still locked on the window and now he was truly perplexed.

"Because you told your mother you were on your cycle." He said deadpanned and DG's head came up faster than he could even blink.

"**So?**" She said, her voice sounding far more shrill than she had intended it to. "_What the_...Why would _**that**_ tell you something was wrong?" She asked, really not sure where he was going with this.

Wyatt arched a brow, not understanding what part she was having a hard time with. "Well you're not even due to start menstruating again for another two weeks, for starters..."

_o.0_

_Now_...

If DG had been given the task to compile a list of words and phrases she felt she would never..._**ever**..._hear uttered by Wyatt Cain, that line right there would have been **_aaaalllll the way _**at the tippy-top.

It would have been in the running for first place with:

"Come look how cute these fuzzy little bunnies are!"  
**and **"Now be honest, DG. Does this gun holster make my butt look big?"  
**and even **"Hey DG, how do you think muttonchops would look on me?"  
**and definitely** "I'm giving up my position as a Tin Man to pursue a career in ballet and expressive dance."

Her jaw hung open and cheeks turned a lovely shade of crimson.

She was _not_ really having this discussion with him, _was she_?

She had to shake her head to gather her thoughts before she could speak.

Oooohhh and she was afraid to even ask...

"Alright, so just how the slam-hell do you know when I'm due to start_... menstruating?" _She asked, her voice dropping to barely more than a whisper as she used the word for the first time since sex-ed class. She was staring at him as if a miniature Cain had just sprouted on his shoulder and broken into a Riverdance.

Wyatt smirked and pointed behind him to the door. "DG, have you _**met **_Jeb? I mean...you do understand where he **_came from_**, right?" He asked and her blushing cheeks grew even darker. While it was amusing as hell to watch he still didn't understand what it was that had her suddenly stammering in embarrassment.

DG was frozen like a deer in headlights.

Was that _sarcasm_? Her eyes widened even further. Was Wyatt Cain _mocking _her??

About..._THIS_??

Her jaw was still hanging open in disbelief. When the _hell_ did she lose control over who made who uncomfortable with their topics of conversation? And why did he think this was so damned funny? Why was he _SMILING_?

She felt like she'd just been sucked through another twister into ANOTHER alternate dimension where Cain said whatever came to his mind with no regard as to whether it would cross any lines with her.

"What...Why...You..." Oh great, and now _she_ was the one at a loss for words. When did this happen? She cleared her throat, there were way too many questions that were screaming to be answered all at once.

Wyatt sat back in the chair comfortably, content in the knowledge that for once he'd rattled her cage and not the other way around.

"DG..." He sighed and shook his head as he watched her. "I was married for almost ten annuals before that suit. I can see your little _mood swings_ coming about a mile away and I'll tell you right now, one thing you learn within the first annual of marriage? You _**avoid**_ the mood swings. You plan for them and schedule to be elsewhere during them."

He laughed for a moment at the indignant 'I do **_not_** have mood swings!' look his words earned from her.

But after a moment his brows drew together again, he had questions of his own now. "So wait, you mean to tell me that while it's perfectly acceptable for teens to date without supervision on the Other Side, it's **odd** for a man to understand how a woman's body works and talk about it? Like it's some big secret?" He shook his head in disbelief. "Well, hell! No wonder there are so many unwed teen mothers there." He said more to himself than to her as he threw his hands up in frustration with yet another ridiculous custom.

DG's head tilted in confusion at his words.

"_Wait a minute_...since when do _you_ know about the Other Side?" She asked skeptically, and seeing the 'that's for me to know' smile that graced his lips she had a feeling there were a lot of things he'd learned recently that he wasn't sharing.

"I did my _'homework'_. Alright, so back to why I came here..." With that he sat forward and DG almost climbed over the back of her chair in case he planned on snatching her up and taking her to her mother for sentencing. Wyatt laughed and rested his forearms on his knees, clasping his hands together in front of him and waiting for her to relax again.

"Princess, what you did this morning..."

Ah but DG was ever the proactive type. He was most certainly about to tell her she was wrong, she would be punished for it, he would shackle her to the foot of her bed at night from that point forward so she couldn't run away again...and before he could get another word in she had started rambling.

"Look, I can't _take this_ any more, okay? I feel like a prisoner in my own...**no**, that's not even it because this **_ISN'T_** my own home...I feel like you guys are just locking me away here and throwing away the key forever and I'll never get a chance to leave again! I'm bored, I've got _**no one**_ to talk to and..."

_Did she really just say that to him? _

"I'm tired of all these **STUPID POMPOUS SUITORS** and..."

_Whoa there, girl_...just how much information was she planning to give up to him? But the words just kept spilling out as he watched her with those damnable blue eyes of his.

"I can't even talk to Az because she's so busy and the Queen and Ahamo...I mean...my...**_parents_**..."

Without thought she had rolled her eyes for that last word. Okay, so now it was out in the open, she'd never voiced to anyone that it was still strange for her.

"They're always wrapped up in one thing or another, they only have time to set up enough stupid lessons and suitor visits to keep me from having a moment of peace..." She took a deep breath, her bottom lip trembling as the final words on the train of stress that had been circling her mind came tumbling out of her mouth.

"This just isn't my world, Cain. I don't think it ever will be again."

Her eyes were wet now and she cursed under her breath realizing that she had started to cry again, wiping at her tears in frustration and trying not to look at him. _He must think she was an idiot or something_...

But he didn't.

He understood where she was coming from and that whole 'this just isn't my world' and 'I don't think it ever will be again' part struck a little too close to home for Cain.

Truth be told he was going through a similar problem. He really didn't know anyone anymore. His world was an OZ that hadn't existed in eight annuals, everything he knew was gone.

Other than her, Glitch and Raw he hadn't had enough time to get close to anyone. The relationship between him and Jeb was still new and shaky, much the same way things were between her and her parents. Jeb loved him, he loved Jeb...but eight annuals away from one another left one hell of a rift. They cared for each other because they knew they should, but the getting to know each other part...the remembering the _reasons_ for their love of one another...that would take a lot of time.

_I've got **no one** to talk to_...She'd said, and while he'd never tell anyone that it made any difference to him - he actually felt the same way. Standing in that suit for nearly a decade with nothing to keep you company but your own thoughts had a way of making a person appreciate conversation, and this was coming from a man who'd once lived for stoic silence.

A smiled stole across his lips watching her pout in the chair across from him.

"DG you can't just go wandering through the woods alone..." He began, by now he was counting on her cutting him off.

"Well I'm not going anywhere with that army of guards." She huffed and he grinned at how adorable she looked in that moment. Knees all drawn up to her chest as she sat sideways in the chair with plenty of room to spare, a frown set on her face as she pouted, her black lashes wet with tears of frustration as she idly picked at the fabric of a throw pillow.

"Alright, not with an 'army of guards' or a security detail...but how about with a friend?" Cain asked and smiled as her face slowly lifted so that she could stare him in the eyes.

_Friend?_ Cain laughed when she looked around the room as if he was talking about someone she had yet to see. She pointed at him skeptically and he nodded.

Well that was a development. So Cain didn't just see her as a charge after all...

"Really?" She asked slowly, her mind trying to quickly gather if there was any way he could change that sentence into a trap like his little 'Fine...' pause for false sense of security and 'we'll do it _your_ way' trick.

She had nothing.

"Really, DG." He said and she was perplexed by the idea.

"But wait...aren't I in trouble? Or grounded? Aren't my...parents...angry?" She asked.

Cain raised a brow. "Well they probably **_would be_** if I told them, but since I _haven't_...and since Jeb isn't going to, either..."

DG pounced with a gleeful squeal, latching on and squeezing him in appreciation.

Cain's eyes bulged that the _Princess_ was _touching_ him again... this time in her _bedchambers_... when they were _ALONE_... a man could be strung up in Central City Square for such an offense.

He desperatly tried to quickly pry her back off of him. "Hey, _hey_...none of that! _**Rules**_, Princess!...Personal space!" He grumbled in panic and she laughed before letting him go.

"Holy crap, Cain! So we can really go outside? Like _without_ an armed escort?" She asked as she sat on the chair in front of him again, scooting it closer and quickly folding her legs under herself as she stared at him with those wide, excited eyes.

Cain was still smoothing out his clothes as if getting rid of any evidence of contact with her and looked up as he shook his head and sighed.

"Well your _friend_ just happens to _also _be an armed escort, so I figure that'll be enough to keep everyone off our backs if I take you out there. But look..." He bit his bottom lip, hating that this is what it came down to. "For this to work you've got to contain yourself, okay? You're the princess and I'm simply your bodyguard, you're going for a walk and I'm just there for protection. If you start making it sound like we're goofing off and I'm doing anything other than following along keeping you out of trouble the reigns are gonna get pulled back in a _big_ hurry and fun time will be over, got it?"

DG grinned wider than he'd ever seen. "Got it. So we're secret friends." She laughed as he rolled his eyes, a moment later he had to join in at the absurdity of it.

"Yes, DG. We're 'Secret friends'."

He leaned forward and took her hand in his, part of him screaming that her casual touching nonsense was contagious but he ignored it for the moment.

"I want you to know that I'm not just doing my job here. You really helped me out...not just by opening that suit but by helping me get my head on straight afterward...I know that sometimes me and Glitch and Raw might seem distant, but you need to understand that it's what's expected of us here. It's just a front for propriety's sake, though. All of us still care about you just as much as we did before the eclipse."

Cain had stared her straight in the eyes as he spoke and DG had never in her entire life been so completely sure of the honesty of a person's words. They chased away her fears and depression like a papay on the trail of a bunny and left her feeling surprisingly lighter.

So no pouncing, but she squeezed his hand just as enthusiastically, her mouth forming a smile of appreciation as she struggled not to cry with the force of the relief that was washing over her.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

Okay so I was a little (a lot) surprised to receive a few shocked reviews from readers who were put off by the mention of periods LOL Love to you guys, didn't mean to scare ya!

So to prevent any further misunderstandings, here is my explanation for what may have caused a face/palm reaction:

The scene where he mentioned her period was written as a means to illustrate the differences in OZ vs Other Side customs. As much as she finds things strange in the OZ he's in the same boat as her. From his POV he finds it extremely odd that on the Other Side it's a big hush hush to talk about menstruation when people obviously have sex and make babies. Both of which are acceptable topics of discussion, yet there seems to be an important and necessary step to the process which for some reason in this culture is treated as a taboo. Plus, he would have been married to Adora for a long time, he's an adult and likely watched his own son being brought into the world. I wanted to highlight the fact that the functions of the human body just weren't something in his mind that needed to be danced around or put gently.

Again, didn't mean to throw anyone off - hope it doesn't scare you away from my fics ;)


	4. You Set Me Free

At first she hadn't been sure how the whole thing would pan out, but Wyatt, it seemed, had already thought it through.

He had taken her to speak with her mother and father and she had to contain her surprise hearing how professional and logical he made it all sound.

The way his tone and posture changed when speaking to the Queen about the serious matter of her daughter's safety was pretty awe inspiring, like night and day in comparison to that tiny preview he'd given DG of his relaxed nature. She was positively glowing with excitement, anxiously waiting to get out of the palace and get to know her 'secret friend'.

Wyatt told the Queen that "_bearing in mind DG's love of nature and longing to explore the surrounding area of Finaqua as she had when she was a child_", he had "_taken her request into careful consideration_" and decided he "_had no objections if she wished to go for walks each week in the surrounding forest and countryside._"

His only conditions were that he "_be present at all times to ensure her safety"_ and that they "_never wander too far from the palace to return by sunsset_."

He advised her father of the additional security he would be adding to the perimeter of the areas they would be exploring and mapped out the details of the solid defense he would put into place.

The Queen and Ahamo had looked at one another for a moment and DG...as well as Wyatt, though much more discretely...held their breath waiting for approval or denial of the request.

After what seemed like eternal silence the Queen turned to them and smiled, saying that as long as "Mr. Cain" would be accompanying her DG would be permitted her exploration. She had been adamant with DG that she needed to listen to him at all times and be mindful of her surroundings. DG, who was threatening to burst with celebration at that point, had nodded in fervent agreement that she would definitely be able to do that.

They exited the Queen's office after DG had thanked her parents repeatedly and given them each hugs...but Wyatt noticed the one she gave Ahamo seemed forced, so much less natural than the ones she gave to Glitch, Raw and himself. His lips pressed together tightly as he saw it. He'd have to get to the bottom of that later.

Once they were halfway down the hall DG had spun to him with that wide grin of hers and opened her mouth, words threatening to pour from her and Wyatt held up a hand as his eyes widened. He pointed to their surroundings and to his ear and her mouth snapped shut. She gave him a quick nod that she'd gotten his warning and tried her best to "_contain herself_", as he'd told her she'd need to do.

They returned to her room and when DG noted the way Wyatt was standing rigidly at her side the instant Jeb came into view she shot him a questioning look. Wyatt arched a brow and she nodded again, not understanding his reasoning, but deciding she'd grill him on it later...questions could wait - for now they had a walk to get going on!

She closed the door behind herself and broke into a silent happy dance before racing to change into another pair of jeans (at least they still weren't enforcing the dresses). She pulled her hair up and marvelled at the difference in her reflection since just an hour earlier before pulling on a pair of boots as she hopped back toward the door.

While she was in her room...for all of the _one minute_ it took her to get ready (_way to not look anxious, kiddo_...he thought to himself) he had informed Jeb that he was going to accompany the Princess on a walk in the surrounding forest.

Jeb was having a hard time keeping his brow from arching.

First his father hits him with the bombshell that he was not going to tell DG's parents about her little prison break, and now _this_?

But he kept his mouth shut, he didn't know what was going through his father's mind and doubted he ever would. And hey, at least he'd have the rest of the day off. He'd shrugged and nodded, taken his leave only slightly hesitantly, managing to keep himself from looking over his shoulder too many times as he walked away.

DG and Wyatt made their way down the many stairs and through the halls that led to the palace entrance and she was desperately trying to maintain the relaxed stroll that he had set as their pace. It was a challenge to say the least.

They exited the front gates and her mind was screaming in celebration the entire way across the clearing to the treeline of the forest.

The _instant_ they were out of view of the palace gates she started bouncing and babbling and Cain burst out laughing, shaking his head and motioning for her to at least keep walking if she was going to keep it up.

"Oh my _God!_ So no rules? Like I can come out here and walk and talk _however I want_ and climb trees and rocks and go _swimming _and fishing and..."

It went on like that for about the first twenty minutes, his eyes growing larger with each non-feminine activity she listed off as being in the near future. They'd just about popped out of his head when she finally finished yammering and followed it up with a series of odd flips that made his jaw drop.

DG informed him with an innocent giggle that they were "cartwheels" and that she had a tendency to do them when extremely happy.

"DG, DG, DG...what am I gonna do with you, kid?" He asked as he shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes and still trying to hang on to the look of mock disapproval.

Without warning she had grabbed his hand and tugged, his eyes going wide in shock as he took an involuntary step forward and had to break into a run to keep up with her.

DG was like a bird freed from her cage as she darted through the forest, laughing and hiding behind trees, peeking out at him when he came close and then taking off again.

She reached a clearing and stopped, looking up at the clear blue sky and tilting her head as Wyatt broke through the treeline behind her. She grinned at him over her shoulder before stretching out her arms to her sides and spinning in circles as she stared up at the suns above her, their rays warming her face as she took deep breaths of the open air.

Wyatt was hard pressed to keep the smile from his lips watching her. He'd finally gotten it right, he'd found a way to give her the same peace she'd given him and it felt every bit as good as it should have. Watching the girl over the course of the past few hours was like seeing a ray of sunshine coming out from behind a dark cloud. It did wonders for his heart.

She was back by his side in an instant, talking and buzzing around him like a hummingbird, tugging on his hand whenever she spotted something she wanted to investigate.

"So how long were you a Tin Man?"  
"What made you want to be one?"  
"How old were you?"  
"How did you and Adora meet?"  
"Was it love at first sight?"  
"How old were you when you got married?"  
"What was Jeb like when he was little?"  
"Where can we get some horses?"  
"I want to learn to ride...will you teach me how to ride? Is it tough to learn?"  
"Oooh where can we go swimming? It's gonna be pretty hot this summer...or whatever you wierdos call it here...do you like to swim? I love to swim. "

She rattled off questions faster than he could answer them but surprisingly he didn't mind it at all. Besides, they had plenty of time and he hadn't talked about any of these things in nearly a decade.

Wyatt was shocked (and okay, maybe just a _little tiny bit_impressed) to learn that DG, as in _her royal highness, the Princess Dorothy Gale_, was an **excellent **tree-climber.

She had been right in the middle of telling him a story about one of many her run-ins with the police in Kansas when mid-sentence she had started scurrying up the branches.

Wyatt had his back turned to her and looked over his shoulder when he heard her voice growing further away, only to stammer a **_holy shit!_** upon finding her thirty feet up in the air already.

"What?" She asked, and proceeded, much to his horror, to dangle backwards by her legs from the branch and look down at him, grinning with the blood rushing to her face as she said, "Look, Cain - no hands!!" and waived them out for his inspection.

He groaned and held his stomach as it tied itself in knots, if he didn't have an ulcer already she was sure to provide one for him. The girl would never cease to amaze him, so at least things around the palace wouldn't get boring.

For the next half hour he sat in shock watching her go, his neck craned so that he could see her and face scrunched up fearfully waiting for her to slip. He tried not to sound distracted whenever he answered one of her questions but it was difficult. Every muscle in his body was tensed and ready to leap forward at a seconds' notice to catch her if she fell. He was doing his best not to show how concerned he really was.

The girl was like a little _monkey_ up there, hopping from branch to branch, continuing to talk to him as if she wasn't doing something that all sanity and reason dictated a girl ought not be doing.

Hell, even a _man_ her age shouldn't be that far up a tree and yet there she was, swinging and dangling as if it were normal for a Princess to be engaging in such activities.

Yeah, he was gonna hang for this if they got caught, it was decided.

When she finally got back down to the ground he was unable to contain his sigh of relief and DG laughed as they started walking again. "Wow, I guess I shouldn't tell you about my bungee jumping phase, huh?" She said, giving him a playful elbow to the ribs and Wyatt groaned, not knowing what that was but sure beyond a shadow of a doubt it was something he wouldn't like. The fact that Hank and Emily hadn't mentioned it told him that it was likely something they weren't aware of...which only added to his concern.

The time was moving quickly and before long her stomach was growling. She tried to ignore it, coughing to try to cover the sound as best she could. Unfortunately Cain heard it's grumbling and arched a brow. His eyes instinctively went to the suns above and she knew he was gauging the time. Another thing she'd be insisting he teach her. "It's well past lunch time, Princess. We'll need to start heading back soon."

"Aaawwww..." She whined and he laughed. "I don't need to eat...I don't wanna go back." DG pouted and Wyatt shook his head as he helped her over a fallen tree.

"So next time we'll just bring some food with us or something, but for today..." He thought aloud as she dropped down beside him, looking over and seeing her face light up at his words. "_What_?" He asked suspiciously.

DG grinned and hooked his arm with hers, laughing and leaning her head on his shoulder at the way his mouth opened as if getting ready to protest - only to stop when he realized there was no reason to. No one was going to see them out there. "So it's settled. Next week we'll have a picnic and you'll teach me how to ride a horse." She said in that perky little voice.

Wyatt smirked and cast a sideways look at her. "It's _settled_, huh? When exactly did I get roped into teaching you how to ride a horse?"

She laughed and squeezed his arm. "Well no one else is going to teach me and it's too late for you to pretend you don't know how."

He let out a little _hmm_ to that and masked his happiness that she wanted him to show her how to do things. It was a great match, he liked to teach and she was like a little sponge for knowledge, ever curious and eager to learn. It was a week away and he already found that he was looking forward to it...he couldn't recall the last time he'd looked forward to something.

"Hey, Cain?" She said distractedly and he realized that she was still attached to his arm as he looked down at her. "How come you didn't tell Jeb what we're doing out here?" She asked, looking up at him with those big blue eyes. "Why do I still have to keep quiet around him?"

Wyatt sighed. "Well...I'm not sure how he'll react to us being friends, for starters. For all I know he'll think I've gone soft for letting you run wild or be disappointed thinking that I'm breaking the rules of the palace...which yeah, I sort of am." He gave her a little smile and she gave one back, but she heard the sadness in his voice.

"You two don't really know one another yet, huh?" She said in understanding and for the first time he found the way she was hugging his arm to be a comfort.

"No, not really. I figure it's going to take some time to rebuild what was taken from us. It's worth the wait, but it makes it tough right now. We're not really sure about each other yet. He's grown now and I missed out on the years that mattered most, the years when he grew into a man."

She studied his face. He was chewing the inside of his cheek, a habit she'd noted he fell back on whenever he was lost in thought.

"Well...I don't know how to help speed that along, but I can tell you that he really does love you and he's trying to get to know you as well. He's in the same situation I am and yeah, it's awkward...but hey - on a good note, at least you didn't put a spell on his memories where he can't reach a lot of them, so that's a plus!" She offered and Wyatt laughed despite himself. "What I mean is he can remember _all of the times_ you were there for him when he was a kid and the bond you two had. He knows who you were then and just has to figure out what your relationship should be like now that he's an adult. He's a smart one, just like his dad. I have faith in him. He'll figure it all out soon enough." She grinned and Wyatt gave her an appreciative smile for her words.

"So what about you and your father? How's that going?" He asked and she noted the way the corners of his mouth were turned in amusement despite how innocent his question was made to sound.

"Oh _hush up_, you already know it's weird." She said as she rolled her eyes and he had to laugh. "I don't know...I just keep wondering if I could just shave off those ridiculous muttonchops if our relationship would take a giant leap in the right direction." Cain looked at her incredulously and burst out laughing again.

"So wait, you mean to tell me facial hair is the only thing standing between you and your father?" He asked once he finally managed to stop cracking up, but putting words to it only made him have to bite his lip to keep further laughter at bay.

"Nooooo." She said with a laugh and shook her head as she sighed. "Alright look...I haven't told ANYONE this so, as if I have to say it, this stays between you and me. Promise?"

Cain nodded as all amusement instantly disappeared from his face, his expression showing her how serious he was about her taking him into her confidence. Those honest blue eyes told her under no uncertain terms that she could say just about anything to him in that moment and he'd keep his silence to the grave.

"It's just..." She huffed in frustration. "It's just that I don't have any memories of him from when I was little." Cain's brows drew together as he looked down at her in confusion.

"_Really_? Not even a vague one?" He asked.

"I mean like **NONE**. I don't want to tell _him_ that, because you know, it would probably hurt him if he knew...but I think when my mom locked up my memories she blocked out his face or something, likely because she was doing her best to help him hide away until I came back. Kind of like how she had his name banished and all that good stuff. But I keep waiting to remember something... _anything_ about him that will help me see him as my dad. That's a serious role for a complete stranger to just waltz in and try to fill, I can't see him as my father when I just met him a few months ago..."

She growled in frustration against his arm. "And damn it, every one seems to have forgotten that when I DID meet him he was throwing me over his shoulder and taking me away from you guys. That scared the _hell out of me!_ I thought he'd just handed you all over to be killed! I really thought he was taking me somewhere to hurt me or..._something_..."

Cain's nostrils were flaring and he was now chewing the _**hell**_ out of the inside of that cheek. The memory of that day was tough enough for him to endure, but hearing her talk about how afraid she'd been when it happened was making it hurt far worse. He vaguely noticed that he'd put his hand over hers where she was holding onto his arm as they walked.

"Then it's like, 'Oh, false alarm, DG - I know I just carried you off to a little deserted shack in the middle of nowhere, but I'm not really going to...'" She stopped from filling in the blanks again, feeling Cain's shoulder tense beneath her cheek telling her that putting words to it would hurt him for whatever reason. "You know? Like, 'forget what just happened, I'm actually your father so everything is all better now.' What the hell? It's not that simple! So I've been trying to act like it's okay, I mean really...but it's gonna take a pretty damned long time for me to get over that first meeting."

Cain shook his head and let out a long sigh, no wonder the girl was so stressed out about not having anyone to talk to. She had a hell of a lot on her plate.

"Well, Princess...I'd say you're doing the best you can given the circumstances. What you're up against is far more difficult than anyone realizes...except for me, of course, because of you sharing that with me...but you know what?" He asked, and smiled at the little _hmm? _she gave as she peered up at him. "It's going to turn out just fine. You're safe, and even if Ahamo seems weird or creepy because of his facial hair..." She laughed and he continued. "He is a good man, maybe a _bit_eccentric, but he loves your mother and you girls very much. Now, I'm not going to grill into your head the whole 'he gave up so much so that you and Az could blah blah blah' because honestly, it doesn't matter. The feelings you have are completely valid and I'm not going to try to convince you otherwise. But given that I know he's harmless, he really does care for you and is, in fact, your father...the only thing that'll heal the problem will be time. Maybe you'll remember him from when you were little, and maybe you won't. The point is you can build a new relationship with him even if there's nothing to go on from the past. Just work on a friendship with him first, then see how you feel about the whole 'dad' thing after that's in place."

She stopped walking and he turned to see why, surprised as hell when she stood on her tip-toes and kissed his cheek sweetly. She stared up at him with those bright blue eyes and he blinked several times. "What was that for?" He asked with a laugh, the warm appreciation in her expression chasing away his initial wish to protest her action.

"Thank you, Cain. I don't know why, but I really needed to hear what you just said." She told him and returned to her position at his side as they started out again.

She had to let go again a short while later, Cain reminding her before they broke the treeline that she had to be careful how she acted around him once they got back inside. Her innocent little hand-tugging and arm-hooking was one thing outside of the view of the palace staff and royal family, but being that she was the Princess she wasn't supposed to be touching people like that.

Apparently being a Princess in the OZ was a lot like being a celebrity back on the Other Side. The instant you stood closer than four feet away from someone of the opposite sex there were rumors of a scandalous relationship in the papers the next morning. It was all funny-haha until he'd pointed out that very much UNLIKE on the Other Side he could be thrown in prison or even executed if someone alleged that he'd done anything less than honorable with the OZ's Princess.

That was enough to drive the point home for DG.

"Got it, noooo touchy-touchy in the palace." She said and held up her hands, her expression still showing her shock at the idea that her pounces could get him in so much trouble. "Wow...so you really are putting your neck out by being friends with me, huh?" She said in amazement, now completely understanding his decision not to tell Jeb.

"Yeah...but the way I figure it I wouldn't have the option to risk my neck if it weren't for you." He told her with a smile.

With that all traces of her relaxed and friendly Wyatt were hidden away again behind the mask of the Tin Man who guarded her.

They entered the palace and she went to get something to eat, then decided she was drained from getting up somewhere in the area of 4:00 in the morning to plan her prison break. He walked her back up to her room and she did like she had every night before, giving him a quiet, "Goodnight, Mr. Cain." and listening to his quiet and emotionless, "Goodnight, Princess." before closing her door.

DG found herself lying in bed with a smile on her face as she tried to fall asleep. She had a long week ahead of her filled with lessons and tutor and suitors (oh my!) but it suddenly didn't seem so bad.

She had her Cain now, her _friend_, and once a week she could tell him everything that was on her mind without being judged or told that she wasn't acting or speaking or feeling in a manner befitting of a Princess.

She sighed contentedly and hugged her pillow close to her chest, praying for the next weekend to hurry up and get there already.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Okay so I was a little (a lot) surprised to receive a few shocked reviews from readers who were put off by the mention of periods in my previous chapter LOL Love to you guys, didn't mean to scare ya!

So to prevent any further misunderstandings, here is my explanation for what may have caused a face/palm reaction:

The scene in Chapter 3 where he mentioned her period was written as a means to illustrate the differences in OZ vs Other Side customs. As much as she finds things strange in the OZ he's in the same boat as her. From his POV he finds it extremely odd that on the Other Side it's a big hush hush to talk about menstruation when people obviously have sex and make babies. Both of which are acceptable topics of discussion, yet there seems to be an important and necessary step to the process which for some reason in this culture is treated as a taboo. Plus, he would have been married to Adora for a long time, he's an adult and likely watched his own son being brought into the world. I wanted to highlight the fact that the functions of the human body just weren't something in his mind that needed to be danced around or put gently.

Again, didn't mean to throw anyone off - hope it doesn't scare you away from my fics ;)


	5. The Definition of EarRape

Okay, so Cain could honestly say at this juncture that he had not fully grasped when going into this just how difficult it would be to turn the friend switch back off again once it was flipped.

There she stood in a gown that weighed nearly as much as she did under suns hot enough to make him forego his duster. That polite _'I swear I'm not contemplating hanging myself from the perimeter wall if you fix your hair again' _smile was painfully frozen on her face as she walked with her rigid _'I love being a Princess, I don't secretly wish that whoever invented corsettes be burned in efigy' _posture along side her **third **suitor of the week.

He wasn't sure by now which of them was looking forward to the weekend more but his money was on her at the moment.

Sure, DG was giving the outward appearance of someone relaxed and interested in the conversation - but Wyatt could _swear_, even from his position several yards away, that he could hear her screaming in her mind for him to shoot the pretty boy in the ass to shut him up.

She was _miserable_, and it surprised him to no end that he seemed to be the only one aware of it.

He heard the haughty laughter of the sissy and smiled a little seeing DG's eyes widen, for just a _fraction of a second_, in repulsion at the sound before she gave a forced laugh of her own.

He had to hand it to the girl, no one could say she wasn't trying her damnedest to make her parents happy.

Pretty boy reached out and took DG's hand and Cain's brow arched. _Alright, if he leans in for a kiss I'm gonna have to let off a warning shot to get her out of it. _He thought to himself with another private smile.

DG laughed modestly at whatever contrived and cliched line she'd just been fed and removed her hand with a stiff '_but of course I'm not wishing to inflict physical harm on you'_ smile.

Cain shifted his weight restlessly from one leg to the other. She had his sympathies, he was ready to choke the life out of the snotty little aristocrat and he was just WATCHING him, not even listening to or speaking with the snivelling scumbag.

He looked up at the suns and cursed under his breath. This one had stuck around for the past two _God-forsaken_ hours and there was no end in sight. His eyes surveyed the gardens, partly for any potential threat...mainly because he wanted to make her laugh and didn't want to get caught doing it.

_Wait for it...wait for it_...the instant those baby blues flicked up to his location past boy-wonder's shoulder, as they did every few moments, he took his opportunity.

* * *

"And they said 'no'. Do you _believe_ that? Actually said **no** to **ME! **Ohhhh it was a treat to see the look on their faces when I informed them who they were speaking to. I told them, 'do you know who you're dealing with? My father is the..."

Pretty boy droned on with that over-inflated sense of self importance and she wanted to pop his little head like a pimple. DG's face was _throbbing_now from forcing her smile for so long. She wished she could dissolve into a little puddle of goo like the witch had...

"and well, they changed _their_ tune in a hurry. Mind you, the service was still _barely_ tolerable but we suffered through it somehow. Then as we were getting ready to leave, Mother said..."

_Oh GOD why was he still **talking**??_ She squealed inside her mind.

This went far beyond honoring thy mother and thy father, what she was doing was deserving of some whole new level of bliss in the afterlife. The faintest cracks were beginning to show through her facade of interest but she couldn't patch them up any more. She wouldn't wish a conversation with this twit on her worst enemies.

_Please...loose your voice...something...**anything**...I'll never get these hours back, you know...you're stealing time out of my life that can NEVER be replaced...for the love of all that which is holy, PLEASE STOP TALKING!!_ Her inner voice was shrieking as she continued to smile and nod in feigned interest.

She could hear Ron White's stand up routine in her head in that moment from 'You Can't Fix Stupid': "This guy told me his entire life story...against my will. This guy _raped_ my ear. This guy _forcibly shoved_ unwanted information _into_ my ear hole. No _means no! _This guy's telling me stories somebody else told him about somebody _they_ know. I'm third generation don't-give-a-fuck! "

At least that memory held her smile in place for another few moments. At that point she realized suddenly how much she was going to miss Comedy Central...

She tuned back in to Prince Valium to see where his conversation was at currently and nearly fainted. _Holy hell...he's gearing up for another story!!_ She realized in terror and panic instantly washed over her, the urge to run away before he got started was positively unbearable.

_Maybe I can flag down Cain and get him to shoot this tart in the ass to shut him up_...she thought to herself, and the instant she stole a glance in his direction she had to bite her lip to keep herself together.

Cain was shaking his head in disgust, arms crossed over his chest before he pointed at the pretty boy and mimicked flipping long hair over his shoulder daintily.

DG's eyes widened and her lips formed a tight line. She _wouldn't_ give in, she _wouldn't_ cause anyone to wonder what Cain was doing to make her laugh...

But answering her prayers Cain pulled his gun from his holster and pointed at pretty boy again with his free hand, then back to the gun, his expression clearly asking her if she wanted him to shoot said tart and put him out of _HER_ misery.

With divine assistance the pretty boy had just reached a point in his story that he seemed to find particularly amusing and as he started that snooty little giggle DG _erupted_ into a fit of hysterics.

It wasn't dainty in any way, shape or form. This was a raucous, belly-shaking laughter reserved only for special occasions. She was laughing so hard her eyes were watering and she actually _heard_ herself snorting but couldn't do a damned thing to stop it.

And off in the distance Cain was turning red/purple trying not to join in at the sound of DG snorting noisily as she held her stomach and leaned forward, desperately trying to resist the need to fall on the ground and roll around as she giggled.

"Oh how wonderful to see the two of you getting along so spledidly!" Came a chipper tone dripping with wishes for the two to marry...so that they could slither their way into the royal family.

Pretty boy's mom, all 800 lbs of her, stood at the entryway to the gardens looking like a jewel encrusted hippo, a destestable smile on her face that made Cain wonder whether a second bullet was in order. "Harold, my darling...it's time we set out. You know how I dislike traveling after dark...unless the Princess wishes us to stay a while longer?" She asked hopefully.

It was all Cain could do to hold back his laughter watching DG's face immediately lose all hint of amusement, her shrill voice responding _just a little_ too quickly, the sound strained by her need to eject these two from the palace immediately.

"Oh I wouldn't _**dream **_of keeping you two from your travels, Lady Faraday. Besides, I have so very much to do with my magic lessons that I scarcely have time to sleep. But I thank you for visiting." She said, praying, pleading, NEEDING for the woman to leave and take her whining brat along with her.

The woman tried not to sound as disappointed as she truly was as she said her goodbyes and took her leave, her horrid little offspring dashing off after her like a lapdog.

Cain approached her slowly, eyes still carefully surveying their surroundings. She waited for him to look back at her with a smile on his face to arch her brow and give him a look of mock admonishment. "You!..." She whispered, looking like she was going to punch him in the arm.

"Ah ah ah...remember, Princess...'no touchy-touchy' in the palace." He teased and she shook her head as she let out a quiet laugh, much more repressed than her wish to burst into another fit of giggles recalling Wyatt mimicking the tart.

"God, how long until the weekend?" She asked hopefully under her breath as they set out and he laughed.

"Just two more days, DG. Just two more days." He offered like a mantra for her to chant for motivation.


	6. From the Mists of a Legend

He'd taken great care in selecting a stallion to match DG's size and lack of experience, one that would get along with his own, as well as _completely_ blow her away when they were introduced...

And he'd managed to find the perfect candidate.

Of course he'd never admit to the careful consideration he'd taken or the hours of spare time that had been devoted to the task, but it had put a smile on his face to anticipate the look of awe that would be on hers.

After another meeting with the Queen and her consort in which Cain had carefully outlined the benefits of DG being able to ride a horse, not only for security reasons but also for future travelling, he had been given the okay to move forward with their lessons.

They commended him for his considerations of DG's requests and his bringing to their attention those that he found valid.

He wondered if he'd regret this at the moment they pulled the lever to hang him...

But currently all thought of the potential consequences were gone from his mind because _TODAY _was the day of DG's first lesson.

He'd known better then to trust DG's ability to contain herself during the introductions and had taken the horses out to graze far away from the palace long before sunsrise, foolishly hoping she'd still be asleep when he got back.

Upon his return he hadn't been entirely surprised to find DG instead standing at the front gates, foot tapping impatiently as she watched his approach with wide, expectant eyes.

Jeb was at her side shaking his head and watching her in amazement as if trying to hold back a Jack Russell terrier (who'd gotten into a bag of sugar) on a short leash. He was _certain_ he hadn't been this hyperactive the first day his father had taught him to ride a horse...

Well...alright, if he was honest with himself he really had been.

But regardless of whether it had been his own reaction to his first lesson, it was still odd to watch the Princess, the girl who was supposed to be the absolute definition of calm, cool and collected getting ready to _burst_ in anticipation. Almost every girl he'd ever met (and we're talking commoners, here - not royalty) liked to watch the "pretty horses" run, maybe even feed them a carrot or two...but the thought of actually _riding_ one of the sweaty creatures was appalling to them.

Not to Princess DG, apparently.

She was wearing her odd attire again and as always it made him do a double take (much the same way ones head would spin on the Other Side if they saw a burly man wearing a pink fru-fru dress). Those pants and slip of a shirt covering her feminine form instead of a flowing gown had caused _quite the sensation_ upon her introduction to the palace staff.

Jeb smiled recalling bits of overheard gossip in which the Princess' sexual preference had been called in to question. The maids had quite a time imagining an announcement of DG's betrothal to a Princess of a distant land. They'd nearly collapsed with laughter imagining what the Queen would say to her people to try and soften THAT blow.

One of them had pointed out that it was, after all, customary for the thrown to be held by a woman in the OZ, so why not two? There was alot to be done in the land now that the witch was gone and one couldn't exactly be expected to trust a _man_to take care of it. She commended DG's homosexuality as a brilliant political move, gave her full support of the idea of two Queens and a fit of giggles had ensued.

Jeb's quarters were close to the entry to the laundry rooms so every morning, while laying in bed staring at his ceiling with brows drawn together praying for the incessant clucking to stop, he was given more detailed information of the palace events than a newspaper could ever hope to cram into one issue.

He had to admit, despite never being swayed by rumors, that DG didn't seem to be the least bit interested in any of the suitors sent her way...

But then again that wasn't any help at all in assessing her attraction to the opposite sex. It was beyond him how every single nobleman in the surrounding lands seemed to be an intolerable bore, self-worshipping, hideously ugly (and I mean we're talking like border-line _deformed_ type of ugly) or some horrifying combination of the three.

Jeb could tell, even though she put up one hell of a front, that she was struggling not to vomit when she was forced to suffer through one of their visits. He actually felt _bad_ for her which he hadn't expected. He could see the way her face said she was fine but (as he had inherited that Cain gift for reading people) her eyes were speaking in volumes to him that she was trying not to bolt for the nearest exit.

That part truly puzzled Jeb. How was he seeing it and his father wasn't? Or at least if he was he never spoke of it. Jeb took that as a sign he should keep his mouth shut on the subject, not wanting to rock the boat when they were still getting used to having one another back.

DG was practically trembling now with the level of restraint it took not to run the remaining 30 yards to meet his father and he tried not to laugh.

Jeb had to admit he found watching over Princess DG to be interesting to say the least, he'd been silently thankful they didn't assign him to guard Azkadellia because, let's face it, that was going to take some getting used to. He knew she was possessed by the witch when she'd done all of those terrible things...but it was still hard to ignore the fact that his body went rigid when she walked into the room. And yet another topic of daily life in the palace that no one **ever** discussed.

The silent shared knowledge of the palace was pretty hard for him to stomach at times, especially after spending the past several years in a state of perpetual warfare and hiding. There were no secrets among people in that situation. If you didn't like someone, you told them. If someone pissed you off, you told them. If you wanted to get up and leave without reason, that was your right. The palace was like some architectural creation designed for the sole purpose of enforcing restrictions, using rules and regulations as the very mortar between the stones of its walls.

His father was finally close enough now that DG could step forward to meet him without being too obvious of how excited she was and Jeb really did catch himself laughing slightly seeing it, only to snap his mouth shut when his father cast him a quizzical look.

He cleared his throat and motioned to DG. "I'd say she's ready for her lesson." He offered, still trying to keep a straight face as his eyes motioned to the fact that the suns still had yet to rise and she had insisted on coming out anyway.

Wyatt was studying his sons features, looking for any hint of disapproval. He found none, but his probing stare had unintentionally made Jeb worry that he'd said something wrong. He gritted his teeth as Jeb quickly excused himself and returned to the palace.

_One of these days_, he - actually, THEY both thought, _I'm gonna get it right with him_.

But as Wyatt's eyes fell on DG's face he was instantly reminded of why he was out so early to begin with and couldn't help but smile.

"Where are they?" She whispered excitedly and he laughed.

"We're going there now, just keep yourself together." He pleaded.

The look in her eyes told him plainly that she was going to be twice as energetic today as she was the last time. She'd even brought along a "picnic" basket of food to prevent having to go back too early, he took it from her and eyed her suspiciously feeling its weight.

"What?" She asked innocently. "Hey, buddy - I'm not risking my belly grumbling again and ruining this for me." She teased and Wyatt shook his head at the look of determination on her face.

The suns were just starting to peak over the mountains in the distance now as they took the long walk around the lake in the opposite direction of their last exploration. He needed wide open spaces if DG was going to learn and had picked out a pefect valley a few miles ahead where she'd be given free reign on her horse.

They had just reached the point where they were no longer within view of the palace and he commended his decision to take that basket away from her before she heard the whinnying in the distance, it would have surely wound up being tossed aside as she broke into a run toward the sound.

He took his time as he followed her, confidant that she'd be stunned so severely by the time he reached her that she'd be frozen in the place she'd been standing when they came into view.

DG could hear them, but she couldn't see them...she raced toward the sound surveying the area for any hint of movement, shielding her eyes against the rays of the rising suns and stopping so abruptly that she nearly fell face first when _**he**_ stepped out in front of her.

"Oh...my...God..." She breathed as he approached her slowly. Her jaw hung open uselessly as the powerful beast looked her straight in the eyes, as if peering directly into her soul. The hairs were standing up on the back of her neck to see the amount of intelligence in the creature. She had to crane her neck to look him in the eye and after a snort of approval he tossed his head, whinnied and turned from her before gracefully trotting back toward the clearing.

She didn't know if she'd blinked at all before Wyatt took his place beside her, laughing at the shocked expression on her face.

"I see Wrath has already introduced himself." He said to the side of her face because _nothing_ was tearing her eyes away from the Freisian stallion as it broke into a run through the fields ahead of them, throwing its head as if showing off his stuff.

"Uh...huh..." She said with her mouth still hanging open.

The animal was possibly the most beautiful, frightening, powerful being she'd ever laid eyes on. She was so stunned by its allure but couldn't help the fear she felt at his size and strength. Wrath's color was like a hole in the world, so black that it seemed to absorb the rays of sunslight that were shining on him. His hair was long and wild at his mane, tail and hooves. It was obviously well groomed and cared for but not cut or styled in a manner that would diminish the creature's feral appearance.

"He's..." She began in a daze, pointing out at the horse as it reared up on its haunches and let out another scream.

Wyatt laughed again and leaned on a tree as his eyes flicked back and forth between the two. "Wrath." He said with a smirk.

"Uh...huh..." She said again. "And do I have to..."

He couldn't keep the smile from his face. "No, DG." He said and she visibly relaxed, if only slightly. "You don't have to ride him. Wrath's mine, he's just a lot more assertive than..." His eyes scanned the clearing and he grinned as he pointed to direct her gaze. "_**Him**_."

If she could have wished a unicorn, as in a flesh and blood creature out of the mists of a legend type _unicorn_, into existence, missing only its horn that would have been exactly what she was staring at in that moment. A stark contrast to Wrath he was as white as snow, his long hair flowing freely over his face almost hiding his shy eyes from view completely. She let out a choppy sigh looking at his powerful form, the hair that was cascading over his hooves. On the Other Side she'd never seen horses so natural in their beauty.

The creature approached them slowly...cautiously...upon the bidding of an odd clicking sound Wyatt was making with the side of his mouth and DG almost fainted on the spot as he neared her.

"His name is Seraph and he'll be good for you to learn with." Wyatt said as he moved back to her side, extending his hand to the horse and showing it that DG was safe to approach.

The animal didn't spook easily, of that he'd made sure (wouldn't be easy to explain how an innocent riding lesson had resulted in broken Princess bones), but it was extremely gentle by nature. Seraph had instantly bonded to Wrath, and Wyatt had been surprised by how calm his horse managed to be in the presence of his new companion.

"Seraph..." DG said, the look of shock finally starting to fade from her face and a smile steeling across her lips. Her eyes were glowing brightly with excitement as the horse allowed her to stroke its neck.

All of the waiting over the course of the past week was worth it in that moment as he watched the two getting to know one another. He found himself staring at them openly there in the light of the morning suns, both of them looking so ethereal that he had to shake his head to get his brain to start working again.

"Ready, Princess?" Wyatt asked.

DG grinned and nodded, only to let out a shocked "_What the...?!_" a second later when without warning Cain lifted her up and effortlessly placed her on Seraph's back. She knew she was blushing when she looked back down at that smile on his face but couldn't help it.

"Alright, then let's get started..." He said with his blue eyes sparkling beneath the brim of his hat.


	7. Say What I Mean Don't Mean What I Say

...and yeah, in the week he'd had to plan for this little riding lesson he'd never _once_ stopped to think of how awkward it was going to be for them...

He'd decided, as with the day he'd taught Jeb all those years ago, that for the first lesson she wouldn't be using a saddle.

It was important to learn how to read the way the animal gave signs with the twitching of its muscles, to learn to move _with_ it so neither the animal nor the new rider became uncomfortable.

_But_...

...when teaching a quirky little Princess how to ride _bare-back_ in the middle of nowhere...how do you put that into words that _**don't**_ sound bad?

Wyatt was trying his best though, ignoring the way innocent statements such as, "he's smart but he's not a mind reader, DG...you need to show him with your _body_ what you want him to do..." earned an arched brow and rosy cheeks from her as she complied.

His stomach was back to forming that ulcer simply _contemplating_ how she knew there was an alternate meaning to such words.

"Just dig in with your heel...give him a good squeeze with your legs if you want him to move faster." He called out to her without thought and rolled his eyes the instant the words had left his mouth, his jaw snapping shut and fist clenching in front of him as if desperately trying to snatch the words back from mid-air before they reached her ears.

Thankfully DG was far too involved in the task of trying to stay **upright** on her horse to look over at him.

She was grunting in a manner _thoroughly _unbecoming of a Princess at this point as Wyatt watched from atop Wrath, her hair was dangling wildly in her face despite her occasionally blowing at it to push it away from her eyes.

"He's all _sweaty_...and he's **too** _**big**_...it's tough to hold on!" She called back.

Cain squinted his eyes suspiciously, wondering if **_that_** statement had really been necessary. Right on cue Wrath let out a sound a bit too reminiscent of a laugh and tossed his head as if mocking the Tin Man on his back.

Cain's suspicious glare fell to the horse wondering whether the animal truly understood how far in over his head he was.

"Whoa, boy..._whoa_!" DG squealed as Seraph started to gallop and when she screamed "What about if I want him to go really _slow_ again, Cain? I like it better when he goes slow!" he had to look up at the sky and pray for the strength.

And there weren't any reigns on that damned horse, either...he didn't have a choice...he'd _have_ to say it...

Cain decided she was _definitely_ doing this on purpose as (in a voice strained ever so slightly by the need to laugh) the words, "just pull back on his hair _gently_ and soothe him with your voice" left his mouth. He shook his head, closing his eyes and trying to hold it together as he added, "good - now stroke his shoulder and let him know he got it right..."

None of these statements had ever seemed so provocative in the past.

"You gonna come with me, Cain?"

His head spun at her shouted question, only catching her intended meaning when he spotted Seraph carrying her farther away. This time it was _**Wyatt**_ arching a brow as his cheeks darkened.

"Yeah..." He called back and cleared his throat in an attempt to shake the strained laughter that was forming there. "I'm coming." He added as he fought to keep his smile at bay, guiding Wrath to follow her.

DG turned and faced frontward again so that she could laugh silently to herself until he reached her. This was _too_ freaking priceless despite her best efforts to behave herself.

But, "_stroke his shoulder and let him know he got it right_" o.0 ?! _Come on!_ She was only human!

Wyatt fell in along side of her and they were each containing their own private amusement.

"_Sooooo_...how do you think I'm doing?" She asked innocently.

Or at least that's how she was _trying_ to make it sound.

He cast her another suspicious sidelong glance and shifted in his saddle, desperately trying to keep any hint of a smile from his lips.

Oh yes, DG was _evil_, it was decided.

What was she fishing for with that question, anyway?

He could just imagine if he'd answered without thinking it through: _You're a natural, Princess...you ride beautifully for a beginner...you'll need plenty of practice, of course, and devotion to our weekly lessons...but I have every confidence that by the time I'm through with you, you'll be riding like a champion. _

Wicked DG. Wicked, _wicked _DG.

"Not bad for a first lesson." He responded as coolly as a bucket of ice-water and DG pouted privately that he hadn't taken the bait.

After a moment of silence, and without so much as a _hint_ of emotion, he added...

"I doubt you're gonna sit right for a week, though."

DG's eyes nearly popped from her head and it was all she could do not to burst out laughing. Cain's head spun on her the instant she started to lose it.

"I _knew_ it! You're doing that _on purpose!_" He laughed as he pointed at the guilt in her red face and she finally launched into a fit of giggles. "Well _cut it out_, would you? You're not supposed to be thinking like that, you know! And if you don't behave yourself I'm not going to teach you anything else."

She tried (really, _really_ hard, mind you) to stop laughing at that point, managing "_I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I won't_..." along with gasps for air between her laughter and Wyatt couldn't help but crack up watching her failed attempts to act serious.

"How did I get stuck with _'Princess Perversion' _over here?" He asked the suns above them and DG nearly fell from her horse she was laughing so hard now, holding onto Seraph for dear life as she cackled.

One (_**obnoxiously**_ loud) snort and honk from her was all it took to break the remaining bit of control Wyatt had over his own laughter and the horses stopped, casting one another annoyed glances regarding the jostling riders clinging to their backs.

"_Oh God...Oh God...alright, alright...I'll stop_..." She choked out past her laughter as she wiped tears from her eyes and tried to sit up straight again. "But you weren't helping matters, I hope you realize that!"

His jaw dropped in innocence. "**_Me??_** I was being serious! _You're_ the one who had your mind in the gutter!" He said as he caught his breath.

"Oh **_please!_** 'Pull his hair gently'? Just 'give him a good _squeeze_ with your legs'? You are every bit as guilty as me, buster!" She said as he shook his head.

"_What?!_ That's how you do it! I didn't make the rules!" He shot back, a hand on his tired stomach from the unfamiliar workout of all out laughter.

Screw sit-ups, a conversation with this little spitfire was ab exercise enough.

He held up a hand after she had worked through another round of giggles, staring at her and trying to appear serious. "Alright, that's it. I'm just going to pretend that this conversation never took place, Missy. And _you?_ You are just an innocent, sweet-minded Princess...who just so happens to have an affinity for climbing trees and wearing pants...but has _never, ever _had a perverse thought cross her pure little mind. Got it?"

DG let out a 'pfftt' to that, waiving him off dismissively. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Cain. And while we're at it, I suppose I'm still a _virgin_, too?"

Wyatt's jaw nearly clubbed Wrath in the back of the head it dropped so fast.

He instantly closed his eyes and started muttering, "_Ohhhkay_ I didn't hear that...I did **not** just hear that...**PLEASE** tell me I didn't just hear that..."

"Denial, party of one!" DG snorted and had to laugh at how desperately Cain was clinging to the belief that she was still some innocent little Princess...

But immediately afterward she started to feel bad.

What if she really _was_ upsetting him and he was just being nice pretending it didn't bother him that badly?

What if he thoroughly intended for this to be their last lesson or walk or ANYTHING because she'd gone too far?

Insecurity crept in and she felt a shock of fear that she had just effectively scared away the only person who accepted her.

"You know what...you're right. I'm sorry, Cain. I'll behave myself, I promise." She said quickly, all hint of amusement gone from her voice.

The jarring difference in tone made Cain open one eye slowly, taking in the expression on her face and scowling the second he saw the worry lining her features. He could see the direction her train of thoughts had just taken as if it had been drawn out on a map for him.

"DG..." He sighed.

"I'm serious. I didn't mean it, I was just kidding." She said, now wishing she could take her words back.

_Maybe she could...maybe she could just tell him she'd been lying_...

"**_DG_**..." He started again, his face serious and she couldn't help the way her bottom lip stuck out a little.

She'd _really done it_. She'd screwed up the only thing she had to look forward to any more, upset the only person she was able to be herself around just because she was a motor-mouthed, pervy princess.

She could have toned it down at least_ a little_. Christ, what had she been thinking? She'd probably just traumatized the man...

"Cut it out!" He said, and to her complete shock he let Wrath bump into Seraph and jostle her as if they were in bumper-cars. Her jaw dropped open and Cain started in on her. "It's fine, okay? I'm not mad, I'm not offended, you didn't scare me off - so pull that little bottom lip of yours back in and get that look off your face."

She was staring at him with wide eyes now, her lips instantly tucking back into a straight line upon the command they'd just been given.

He sighed as he continued. "I kinda figured as much, anyway...given what I've heard about the Other Side...though I can tell you for _DAMNED_ sure that if I'd been there a 'difference in customs' wouldn't have meant _shit_." He said with an arched brow and DG's eyes widened again.

He'd just said _'damned'_ AND _'shit'_! In the same sentence!

Wyatt Cain cursed!

In front of her...

_TO_ her...

And it hadn't even been muttered under his breath or said in surprise!

Was it odd that she found that so utterly adorable?

She couldn't help but smile at his words.

It was hard not to laugh imagining what Prom night would have been like if he'd been sent with her to the Other Side instead of Hank and Emily. It was effortless to see him on the dance floor in the middle of the high school, totally ignoring every other person in the room - still rocking his fedora and duster with his hand on his gun, eyeing up her date and arching that scarred brow any time he got closer than two feet from her. The boy would have likely insisted on calling it an early night, stammering that a headache or some other malady had struck him without warning. She would have been hard pressed to so much as sneak a _kiss_ from a guy in all that time.

The thought was oddly..._comforting_.

She gave him a tight-lipped smile, her blue eyes sparkling happily again and he laughed.

"Now, if you're all finished with your little _mood swing_ I'd like to get moving." He said, his eyes telling her very clearly: _'Think about that one for a second.._.'

DG's brows drew together in thought...

The instant she scanned her mental calendar and realized what he was insinuating she let out an indignant squeak the likes of which Kelso from 'That 70s Show' would have been proud of and punched his arm.

Wyatt was laughing at her, rubbing the place where her angry little fist had just connected. "Hey! Don't be mad at me for being right, Princess." He teased. "So do you feel better now? Or are you gonna take a couple more cheap shots first?" He asked and DG grinned.

"I think a few more cheap shots are in order." She said and cracked up when he shook his head and bolted with Wrath.

"Then you're gonna have to work for it!" He yelled over his shoulder, forcing her to test out what she'd learned so far by following after him on Seraph.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**Alright, if I messed up something about the horseback riding I'm sorry in advance, just went with what I've heard/seen/done in the past and keep in mind, _for the love of all that is holy_, this is for comedy's sake ;)

Thank you. LOL

AND...

In case you couldn't hear Kelso in your mind for the "That 70s Show" reference, go to YouTube and punch in "Kelso scream", it should be the first vid in the results ;) haha


	8. Wings Flutter Restlessly

"So you were just born with this super-human sense of right, wrong and justice, huh?" DG teased as she popped something that looked a lot like a grape (though tasted uncannily like cold honey) into her mouth.

She was sitting across from Wyatt on a blanket she'd spread out in the center of a clearing, the trees casting flickering shadows over them as they swayed in the breeze.

Cain was in his feigned relaxation pose, propped up on an elbow as far away from her as possible and thanking his lucky stars that DG had grabbed a blanket that would have been large enough to cover even her over-sized bed. He arched a brow beneath the shade of the brim of his hat and smirked at her comment, along with the way she was staring at him with those wide, sky-blue eyes of hers.

"Yes." He said, as if it had been so simple, his smile widening as she grinned and pelted him with a piece of fruit, laughing when he caught it and ate it.

"You know some people just get birthmarks." She said as she tossed another piece of the foreign food up into her mouth. "Not you, though. Nope, you came out of the womb wearing that hat and holding that gun, too, I'll bet."

Wyatt laughed, shaking his head and looking up at the sky above them.

It was at that moment...

_Gazing at the vision of him with the suns glittering in those blue eyes, shadows dancing across his smiling face as he sighed and took a deep breath of fresh, free air in that manner which always made it clear exactly how much he was savoring it..._

...that something deep inside of DG began to stir.

Butterflies, lying dormant in her stomach all of her life, began to emerge from their cocoons and flutter restlessly.

Not even the revelation that she was a Princess, that it was her destiny to save this strange world, had been so breathtaking as the realization she was currently experiencing. She memorized every line of his face in that instant, forever after able to draw it from her heart's memory.

She swallowed hard and averted her eyes, staring out at Seraph and Wrath where they were grazing a few yards in the distance in hopes that Wyatt wouldn't notice the shock in her features.

_Okay, when the heck did this happen?_ She wondered, suddenly overly aware of the way she was sitting, the way her hands were resting, the way her hair must look a mess from chasing after him on Seraph for so many hours.

"So where did..." Her voice sounded strained at first and she had to clear her throat and try again. "Where did you find Wrath?" She asked, hoping to keep him from turning toward her.

Wyatt smiled again and looked over at the horse. "He was all alone on a farm not two hours to the north of here. The family left...or was driven away from their home, I don't know which...quite a long time ago. When I found him he was in pretty bad shape...hair all matted and pretty much angry at the whole world."

He arched that damned brow of his (which instantly sent the butterflies into a frenzy) and said with a smirk, "You should have seen him."

She laughed and somehow managed, "Yeah, I think I can imagine that...stumbling across a trapped, antisocial individual in desperate need of a haircut, you say?"

He laughed and nodded at the similarity and her heart raced.

_Oh, damn it all to hell!_ She cursed herself. This was _totally_ unacceptable.

She'd gone and caught feelings for the Tin Man like some schoolgirl with a crush.

Well she'd just ignore it, that's all there was to it. She finally gets a friend (as unlikely as it was for him to open up to her in the first place) and she decides to repay his kindness by going all _doey eyed_ and _stupid_ on him? Nope, not happening.

But _God,_ he was just too attractive for words in that moment.

She'd never paid much attention to the shape of his chest and shoulders before, the way his smile lit up his entire face, the way his blue eyes shined brightly when he laughed...

_QUIT IT!_ She screamed in her mind, trying desperately to extinguish the fire in her thoughts before it engulfed any more of her senses.

"I brought him back with me that day, and let me tell you, he was not thrilled with the idea...but once I got him fed and started grooming him he settled down again...at least until I was finished." Wyatt laughed at the memory of what he'd gone through with that horse during the first couple of months after the eclipse. When he was off duty he found there really wasn't anything to occupy his time, Wrath had benefited greatly from his need to focus on something as he worked his way through eight years of confusion.

"So the name...did you do it on purpose?" She asked, still trying to jar herself from the horrible Cain-Crush that was sprouting inside of her faster than a weed on Miracle-Grow.

"Hmm?" His brows drew together in confusion and she pleaded for him not to do it...cursing in her mind when those devestating blue eyes moved to her face asking her to elaborate on her question.

"Well..." _Was she sweating? Oh, Christ..."_I just mean that when I met him I realized I 'feared Cain's _Wrath'_...so I figured that was too good to be coincidence." She said with a smile, trying as hard as she could to make herself blink.

Wyatt grinned.

DG's heart did a triple-axle.

"That wasn't where I came up with the name, but I have to admit that is pretty damned funny." He said as his eyes returned to the horses and she discretely let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

Wyatt glared out at the horse in question, though the corners of his mouth were turned in the slightest hint of a smile. "No, he _really_ earned the name because the first time I tried to shoe him he got...angry...with me. That son of a bitch didn't kick, didn't make a sound to let me know I'd made him mad at all...he just waited. After I was all finished and about to leave he honestly looked me straight in the eyes, let out a grunt and stomped _directly _on my foot."

DG couldn't help the laughter that burst from her lips seeing the indignation in Wyatt's face. Like 'do you believe the nerve of this damned horse?'

After a moment of cackling she covered her mouth and muttered from behind it, "I'm sorry...that's not funny...did he hurt you?" She asked, only to start laughing all over again picturing the fiasco that had to have unfolded in the stable that night.

It was fairly common knowledge, even for DG who'd never ridden a horse before that day, that you couldn't and SHOULDN'T push a horse in that situation - they'd only push right back and put more of their weight down on the hoof that had you pinned.

Which meant...

Wyatt would have had no choice but to stand there and wait it out, undoubtedly turning five shades of crimson and purple, glaring at the horse and swearing under his breath his intentions to shoot the animal the instant he was free.

"Well it didn't feel _good_, I can tell you that much." Cain said through his own laughter.

"I'm really sorry...I'm not laughing at you...I'm laughing at him, I promise...but hey, I didn't see you limping around so I'm assuming he didn't break anything. Right?" DG asked as she fought to keep a straight face, still tormented by the image of Wyatt, all angry and red, cursing at a thoroughly spiteful horse.

"Oh, you think so? _No, no_...I got about halfway to my room before old fuzzy-lips caught me. Trust this much, Princess, if you ever get hurt and wish to keep it to yourself don't even bother trying to sneak into the palace, Raw has a freaking radar for it. He healed me up...against my will, mind you...and I _swear_ to you, when I walked back out there to the stables the next morning without as much as a single broken toe _that_ damned horse was disappointed." The way he was pointing at Wrath in accusation made her bite her lips to prevent any further outbursts. It became increasingly difficult when Wrath let out another of his whinnied laughs and Wyatt arched a brow and glared back at the animal.

"I'd say you two were made for one another." She finally snorted and Wyatt rolled his eyes as he laughed with her.

* * *

Back at the palace Jeb was inside his room pounding his head against the wall in a slow rhythm wishing the maids would either stop talking or clear the hall outside his door so he could escape. They'd been clucking away out there for an **_hour_**, most of the conversation causing him to cover his ears and beg for mercy.

"So did Princess DG make an announcement about her homosexuality yet?" He heard one of them joke and recognized the voice immediately. She was one of the most vocal members of the rumor-mill/hen-house outside his door.

"For the twentieth time, _noooo_, Alisha." He knew the pause must be for the woman speaking to roll her eyes. "She's still humoring us by entertaining those suitors." Rhonda responded as she folded a sheet. "And besides, I don't know who you think you're fooling, little missy - we all know you're just waiting for her to come out so you can vie for her hand in marriage." Jeb heard her add with a snort and tried not to laugh, desperately avoiding drawing attention to himself.

The smacking sound that followed, paired with Rhonda's yelp and laughter told him her words had earned a swat to some region of her body.

"Hey! That's not true, damn it! I'm _just saying_ she _has_ to be a lesbian - it's the only logical explanation. Because I can tell you, sure as shit, if that were **me **out there with that apple-assed, blue-eyed fox the farthest thing from my mind would be learning to ride horses." Alisha proclaimed.

Jeb shuddered and fought back a wave of nausea.

He was sure by now he'd been irrevocably traumatized by their words and would never stop hearing them. These were things he was NEVER meant to hear women say, he was certain of it. And ESPECIALLY not when it pertained to his father...

"Oh I don't know about that, hon. I'd most certainly be riding a blonde stallion..." Flo said and the room erupted into hysterics as Jeb cringed and covered his ears.

It didn't help in the least.

"My Lord, I swear he wears those pants just to torment us. If he weren't such a pain about anyone trying to wash his clothes I tell you, right here, right now - I would shrink those bad boys _at least_ another two sizes so we could all die happy." Erin announced.

Immediately the girls began to joke around about all the ridiculous schemes they could attempt in order to get a hold of the "Holy Pants of Tightness".

Jeb curled up in the fetal position on the floor.

"I have to say, if she's not a lesbian then her vision must be failing her. If I was spending as much time around him as she is I'd insist on him walking ahead of me to...'keep an eye out for trouble'...that way I could have a front row view of that magnificent ass all day, every day." Chelsea said with a choppy sigh.

"Well hopefully she'll snap out of it soon and realize what she's got there. Now as for me, personally...I've got my eye on the Jr. hotstuff." Alisha announced and Jeb heard a gasp ripple through the room. "_What?_ Have you looked at him lately? My _God_ that boy has cleaned up nicely. The way I figure he's gonna get bored of 24/7 duty here shortly and the second he does, I intend to be there to make the introductions."

Jeb's eyes widened and he scrambled back to his feet, moving closer to the door not wanting to miss the rest of this conversation.

"Gave up on Princess DG, then?" Rhonda joked and the girls were all cackling.

After being stuck in that room for an hour praying for them to leave he actually found himself _disappointed_ when the women's laughter started moving farther away. Their giggles echoed into the distance and he frowned.

_And just when the conversation had been getting interesting, too..._

A moment passed in silence before he dared to try the handle of his door, peeking out and finding the hall empty.

He sighed and exited his room, closing the door behind him and making it about three steps before she walked out in front of him from where she'd been waiting in the laundry room.

She was smiling mischievously as she waved at him. "Hello, Jeb." Alisha said breathily as she approached...

And Jeb swallowed hard knowing he was in _way_ over his head...

* * *

**Author's Note:**

So yeah, Jeb's not really my thing but I figure he needs a playmate for this fic LMAO And since Wyatt is otherwise occupied, I'm gonna try the young one on for size to give the Jeb-shippers some good reading material ;) haha

Also, for those of you who were reading this and went _o.0 "That's me!" _LOL yes, I wrote in a few of my fellow fangirls since I can sooooo imagine us having a conversation like this if we were left to our own wicked devices :-P MWAH! There are a bunch of you that I unfortunately know only by your IDs and didn't think I could pull off using them as character names haha but if you want to be included in the fun just let me know your first names ;)


	9. Not That Theres Anything Wrong With That

Despite her little Cain-Crush she found that she was still able to joke around and relax in his presence. It gave her a glimmer of hope that she could still recover from this momentary (alright, so it had been several _hours _at this point) insanity. She'd told herself by now that the cause for her..._illness_...was everything from stress to hormones to those strange little fruits.

They must have been some sort of OZ aphrodisiac or something because _surely_ she couldn't _actually_ be lusting after Wyatt_...right? o.0_

DG made a mental note to steer clear the next time that young woman Isabella in the kitchens offered to 'help' her pack food for an outing with Wyatt. She thought the girl had been smiling a bit too much when she handed over the fruits, probably thinking "_And can I interest you in a little Spanish Fly dipping sauce to go with that_?"

It hadn't gone unnoticed by DG that after she began going on these walks with Wyatt the women of the palace staff had started volunteering to help her with anything she needed.

Molly and Sarah had been outside her bedroom door long before sunsrise that morning, startling her since she figured no one else was awake. She was so very wrong. They were offering assistance in any preparations for her day outside the palace and DG had eyed them both suspiciously as she accepted.

_Blanket for the picnic?_ Done.

_Basket to carry the food in?_ Done.

Before long there were other smiling faces outside her door.

_Help with hair and makeup? Perfume? Wardrobe? _She'd declined the offers, finding them a bit strange for a horse-riding lesson and Bee and Sorena had cast one another discrete smiles...though not discrete enough for her to miss it.

Why did she get the feeling that the flames of this little crush were being secretly fanned by a posse of thoroughly amused women?

The suns were just about to set when they arrived at Finaqua and DG had teased Wyatt that it wasn't normal for him to be able to time their heading back so perfectly. Despite his spot-on timing they found themselves slowing as the palace came into sight, neither putting words to their disappointment that they had to go back to the monotony of daily life in the wake of such (surprising) peace and happiness.

"So, what's on the agenda for next weekend?" Cain heard himself ask and immediately wondered where the words had come from...and why he hadn't been asked permission to voice them. They hadn't even entered the front gates yet and he was already seeking something to look forward to in order to make it through the week.

"I want to go swimming!" DG said enthusiastically.

And just like Cain, as she heard the words fall from her mouth she instantly arched a brow at herself.

Was she **NUTS**?

Like, _hey, I know what will help make this crush go away - frolicking in a secluded river with the handsome cowboy! I'm sure **that'll** do the trick! _She could hear unamused applause in her head for her actions. _Brilliant...just freaking brilliant. Way to go, Princess_.

Wyatt laughed at her enthusiasm and nodded. "Alright, that's easy enough. You'll need to pack something to swim in so that once you're done it has a chance to dry...and don't let anyone see you doing it, either. I'm not explaining to your parents why you would need a change of clothes OR why your outfit would be soaking wet from simply 'walking' in the woods." He teased.

DG cracked up picturing herself standing in the entry-hall of the palace, dripping wet with her hair hanging in her face giving the Queen the old "see, what had happened was...funny story, **true **story...ummm..."

Her laughter was cut short as she noted the sudden distance between them, her eyes wandering up to his face and seeing that brooding protector blocking out relaxed Wyatt once again. She didn't have to look ahead of them to know there were guards within view.

She let out a quiet sigh and before she could even _attempt_ to stop herself she'd whispered, "Well, it was nice while it lasted...I'll miss you this week."

Her eyes bulged and she snapped her mouth shut.

_What._

_The._

_Hell._

_Was._

_**That??**_

But Wyatt smiled, ever so slightly, whispering a, "Same here, kiddo" and she nearly melted right off of Seraph's back.

They took the horses to the stables, despite several attempts by other guards to perform the task for her, and Wyatt tried not to laugh watching her nuzzling and cooing to Seraph as she stroked his neck and told him she'd see him next weekend.

* * *

**Author's Note: **_Now if only she were doing that with Wyatt we'd be in business...hehehe... _

_(realizes she's interupting) __Oh! Uh...sorry...umm...carry on. I was never here..._

* * *

He walked her to her room and, after making sure no one was in the area, gave one of his warm smiles as he said goodnight. She clung to the sight of it, knowing it would be another 7 days (if he behaved himself this time) before she'd see that smile again.

The door closed and his brow furrowed, _no one **was **in the area_...where the hell was Jeb?

He sighed and shook his head, posting a few of his most trusted guards on DG's door and setting out to find his son. It was his own fault, really...the kid was probably all screwed up with the change in shifts, it required each of them to work a double before they returned to their normal schedules.

The trek down to Jeb's quarters was filled with parell, even for a Tin Man...

Strike that..._**especially**_ for a Tin Man...

Because the only thing more dangerous to Wyatt's safety than DG's tendency to pounce on him was...

"_Good evening, Mr. Cain_."

He froze mid-step, cursing under his breath before forcing a smile and looking over his shoulder at them.

It was like wandering into the lioness' den down here.

Two women of the palace staff were smiling back at him, batting eyelashes and staring at him like a walking t-bone.

"Evening, ladies." He said as quietly as possible, not wanting to attract any more of them. One swarm was all these girls would need and he'd never be seen or heard from again. It gave him cold sweats to contemplate his odds if they decided to band together one of these days...

Like a rabbit down a foxhole he was definitely in the wrong territory here. His eyes quickly surveyed the hall in case this was a set up.

Why did he always get the sensation they were plotting mischief against him?

And where was that mouthy little blonde broad? The girl was just _made_ of trouble...your friendly neighborhood _bad girl_. He'd have to have a talk with Jeb about that one...

"Need help with anything?" Jen asked as she approached and he swallowed hard, making a mental note of all closest exits in case she intended to leap. "Or rather, is there anything I can _do_ for you?" She added with a grin and he held up a hand.

"No, no...just came down to see Jeb." He said with a smile that belied his anxiousness, her eyes were wandering over him as if sizing him up for restraints.

Someone entered the hall behind him and he could have _SWORN_ that as they circled him to join the others some part of them brushed against his ass in a manner that couldn't pass for _'accidentally'_.

He wasn't in the position to see Lisa mouthing "OH MY GOD!" to the other girls as she did it.

"You're sure? We can't interest you in something to eat, perhaps?" Lisa said with a demure smile as she walked over to Jen, resting an arm on her fellow temptress' shoulder.

Rose, ever joined at the hip with Jen, was grinning like a Cheshire cat on her other side as she added. "I'm certain you must be positively _famished_..."

Wyatt was chewing the inside of his cheek again as the girls watched him turn red right to the tips of his ears.

_Damn it all to hell...how had he managed to get himself into this situation? This was all Jeb's fault..._

_"_I'm fine..." He said with a smile, charting out the best route to pass them without any further 'accidental' contacts with his posterior. "**Really**." _There, that ought to clear things up_. "You ladies have a nice night." He said as he tipped his hat, and as he turned he pretended not to notice that all three of them lowered their eyes and tilted their heads to enjoy watching his retreat.

"Good Night, Mr. Cain." They chimed in unison and he almost missed a step, pleading with them in his mind not to attract any further attention to his presence.

By the time he reached Jeb's door he was muttering under his breath and swearing that first thing in the morning he would request his son be moved to a safer location.

He knocked on the door and reached for the handle, his brows drawing together when:

A) For the first time he found it locked up tight

and

B) Commotion started beyond the door telling him that _someone _was doing _something_ in a hell of a hurry...

"One minute!" Jeb called.

Wyatt's eyebrow arched at the surprise in his son's tone and he closed his eyes the instant he heard the telltale mumbles and grumbles.

It was tough to make out, but the gist of it was something to the effect of:

_"Hide!"  
"I am **not** hiding!"  
"Then fix your hair and dress or we're in deep trouble!"  
"Who's in trouble? He's not **my** father! Besides, you're an adult and.."  
"Uh huh, uh huh...How about less talking - more primping!"_

"Coming!" Jeb called out again in a feeble attempt to buy time and Wyatt sighed.

Once the commotion and mumbling stopped he braced himself, stunned (though not entirely surprised, if that makes any sense) as the door opened revealing the loud mouthed little blonde he'd been meaning to warn his son about.

"Mr. Cain..." Alisha said in greeting and inclined her head to him, a smile on her face befitting of the cat that just ate the canary. She squeezed past him and out into the hallway, making her exit without ever looking back because she KNEW those shocked blue eyes were following her the entire way. If she wasn't quick about this she'd get stuck sitting through whatever admonishing words he'd have for his son.

Wyatt found himself staring down the hall with his mouth hanging open long after she'd turned the corner, finally shaking his head and blinking several times to jump-start his brain.

He entered the room and almost burst out laughing seeing the nervousness in his son's expression and the way he was trying to act nonchalant.

_Oh God_, Wyatt thought as he ran a hand over his face trying to figure out what he needed to say here. This was _precisely_ why missing out on his son's teen years was making their relationship so difficult_. _Part of him still saw Jeb as a rebellious little boy who needed to be told right from wrong, and transversely Jeb saw his father as he had back then, someone to repemand him for bad behavior...

But those late teen years would have been a time to change that, they could have established their friendship and knocked down the boundaries that were necessary when Jeb was a child. Talking about girls, women (to an extent, mind you, because if it bordered on disrespect he'd still ring Jeb's chimes) was something that would have been natural, not awkward like this was likely to be.

Jeb had never been given the chance to come to his _father_ for advice about dating, how to deal with the hormonal mysteries of the female gender, love, sex...any of it. It was a time in his life when he'd had to talk to friends instead, Resistance members and soldiers.

Just another regret in a staggeringly deep well of them.

"Jeb, sit down." He said with a sigh and watched his son's face set into that same old defiant _'I didn't do anything wrong'_ expression he'd always worn as a child.

It was going to make this more amusing than it should be.

He resisted the urge to pull up a chair and sit across from his son, despite the fact that it would have been so much easier to remain distant, but he didn't want this to feel like a confrontation. His decision to sit beside his son as they talked was crucial and judging by the surprise on Jeb's face it had sent the intended message.

"I'm not mad or anything, there isn't anything to be mad about. You don't need to shelter me from the fact that you're an adult now." Wyatt said and a smile came to his lips at the words. "That's not an invitation for you to completely disregard the fact that I'm your father, just so you know, because I can still put you over a knee if you step out of line."

Jeb was shocked when he found himself laughing and nodding, he'd been so ready to argue that point for hours before his father would acknowledge how old he was.

"Sooo...that being said..." Wyatt breathed and arched a brow. "When did _this _start?" He motioned toward the door the blonde had just exited through and Jeb cracked a smile.

"About two hours ago." He answered and found the sound of his father's easy laughter in response to his honesty to be extremely comforting.

"Well..._okay_..." Wyatt ran a hand under his jaw. "In that case, I suppose I'll just have to put all other questions on hold until you find out what exactly is going on with her."

Jeb sighed in relief. "Good, because I don't have a _clue_ yet."

"She's trouble." Wyatt said with a smile, turning and finding a reflection of it on his son's lips.

"You'll get no argument out of me on that one." Jeb said with a chuckle. "She's a little gossip queen down here, you should have heard..."

_**Eeewwww!!**..._Jeb's mind instantly recoiled at the memory of the conversation he'd listened to earlier that evening.

"Heard what?" Wyatt asked, though judging by the way his son had completely halted his sentence he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"Oh just the girls jabbering endlessly out there..." He tried, stalling to find something..._ANYTHING_...to avoid the topic of references made about his father's sex appeal to women young enough to be his daughters.

"They think DG is gay."

_Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!_

Wyatt's jaw dropped open and Jeb couldn't help but laugh at the honest shock in his father's face.

"They think...that _**DG**_...is..." Wyatt tried, but the way his mouth wanted to hang slack-jawed was making it difficult to form the words.

"Yup." Jeb said with a triumphant grin. "And they've already decided they're okay with it. They even compiled a list of names of the Princesses they think would be more to her liking than the suitors who keep stopping by here."

"Umm..." So yeah, his thoughts were like molasses suddenly. After a moment, and a few astounded statements of "**_Really?_**" Wyatt shook his head and got his brain to function yet again. "Speaking of DG, that's why I came down here...you're supposed to be on shift."

Jeb covered his mouth and looked over at the clock on the wall. "Shit! I'm sorry, Dad." Neither of them noticed how easily that name had fallen from his lips. "I just got tied up and..."

Wyatt arched a brow and smirked, immediately causing his son to stammer and backpedal.

"Well not _literally_...I mean...I just got...oh _you know what I meant_." He said with a mock scowl and Wyatt put his arm around Jeb's shoulder, pulling him over to him and tussling his hair as they both laughed.

He walked with his son back up to the hall outside DG's door, finding his thoughts in chaos the instant they parted company and he headed to his room.

He lay awake for far longer than he should have contemplating the rumor. _What difference did it make anyway?_ He wondered as he idly spun his wedding ring on his finger.

Not that homosexuality was a big deal ("Not that there's anything wrong with that"). Hell, he'd figured Glitch was gay for a while there, at least until he'd noticed the doey eyes he'd been giving that maid, Rose...

But **_DG?_**

_Well, she did wear pants...and climb trees...and generally HATE all things "fru-fru" and "prissy" that were required of her as a Princess..._

_And okay, she hadn't shown the slightest bit of interest in a man the entire time she'd been in the OZ..._

_And she hadn't exactly specified to WHOM she'd lost her virginity to on the Other Side...not like gender had even crossed his mind as a question to ask..._

But _**REALLY?**_

_Why the hell was this bothering him so much?_ He rolled over on his side restlessly, giving his pillow a few good punches in hopes that it would mold into a shape that would magically lull him into sleep.

This wasn't a big thing, so what if she did play for the other team? Couldn't he just be "secret friends" with the lesbian Princess of the OZ and leave her sexual preference as a 'don't ask, don't tell' unless she chose to bring it up?

Damn his curious nature.

The Tin Man in him was already formulating strategies to get the answer without asking the question, still clueless as to why he wanted to know so badly in the first place...


	10. We Are Going To Tarantino It

DG was trying her best to keep even the slightest _hint_ of a smile from her lips...but let me assure you, it wasn't easy.

"Cain?"

He only grunted in response.

"I know you said you're not speaking to me right now..."

Another grunt, this one with more aggravation behind it.

"But I just wanted to say that I am very... truly... _really_... _**extremely**_... sorry about this..." She said, biting her lips and pleading her expression to remain serious.

Wyatt turned and glared at her over his shoulder, a look of indignation frozen on his features as he eyed her up like the devil incarnate.

His brow was arched, his face beet red...its color made all the more noticeable in the absence of his hat...

Or _**any**_ of his clothes, for that matter.

* * *

But alas, I am getting ahead of myself.

How did we arrive at this marvelously humiliating situation for our Tin Man?

_Let's go back..._

(In the words of the great Dane Cook, we're going to 'Tarantino' it...)

* * *

The week had blown by them this time around, and every morning he had awoken with a smile on his face as the countdown to walk-day dwindled. DG's sexual preference had been a topic of thought during several hours of lying awake staring at the ceiling, but he was no closer to deciding how he would go about finding the answer...or more importantly, why it mattered so much to him to begin with.

The morning had started off simple enough, uneventful enough...

_**Clothed**_ enough.

He'd gone to DG's quarters and taken over as Jeb (a bit too eagerly) surrendered his post.

Wyatt had let out a small sigh. If the boy kept it up at this rate with that loud-mouthed little blonde maid he would surely die of dehydration.

But he kept his silence, simply smiling as he watched his son make his way briskly toward the stairs leading to his quarters, undoubtedly breaking into a run the instant he was out of sight.

Jeb was walking a bit taller these days, a little extra pep in his step that made Wyatt struggle not to laugh. Judging by the way his son's face would redden when the girl discretely batted her eyelashes or winked one of those baby blues at him he had to say she was definitely 'putting hair' on the boy's chest.

And she seemed completely dedicated to the task, too. Putting in overtime with their nightly (and at least a few times daily) escapades.

It was far too amusing to see his son fluster in the girl's presence, as if she had him on a leash chained to her waist. Every time she passed by him he looked as if he was being tugged along behind her by some unseen tether.

Wyatt would just shake his head and smile remembering a long, long time ago when he'd been so whipped, wondering how either of them were managing to perform their daily duties as he knew neither of them were getting much sleep.

DG had entered the hall like a ray of sunshine, grinning ear to ear the instant she saw that they were alone and breaking him from his amused thoughts concerning the current state of his son's mental and physical health.

"Ready for your walk, Princess?" He asked in a formal tone for the benefit of any prying ears. She had only nodded and resisted the urge to burst with excitement or cling to his arm.

They exited the palace atop Wrath and Seraph and as soon as they had reached a safe distance DG began her now familiar routine of attempting to fill him in on every thought she'd had in the past week inside of five minutes.

Wyatt would smile and nod, laughing at her descriptions of everything from Toto's tortuously boring magic lessons to the monstrous size of the nose on her etiquette instructor.

To see the world through DG's eyes was truly an entertaining thing.

His happiness to be out of the palace with her again was taking precedence over that nagging question at the back of his mind...at least for now. _Was she? Wasn't she? _The instant he was in the presence of her easy laughter it somehow didn't seem to matter any more.

As this was her second trip with Seraph he'd equipped the horse with full tack, and judging by the confidence in her posture as she babbled to him she was going to be a hell of a rider. She barely noticed that she was now effortlessly applying everything she'd been taught and he was content in the knowledge that he'd given her something, shared with her just a small bit of knowledge that had expanded her world.

DG had snuck a pack down to the stables during the week with attire to swim in, and he had marvelled at her packing skills because it had hardly taken up any room.

For the first time in over a week DG began to speak of Azkadellia, and his heart ached for her as she touched on the subject of their still-strained relationship.

Az wasn't having an easy time of becoming re-acclimated, she was timid and extremely soft spoken...burying herself in daily routine to avoid having to speak with anyone...fragile to the point where visits with DG had to be kept short upon the insistence of her physicians.

Each sister had their own guilt and grief where the other was concerned, and if one of them so much as let a glimmer of sadness pass over their face it was all over. They would tell one another how sorry they were - DG for freeing the witch, Azkadellia for not 'trying hard enough' or 'being strong enough' to prevent the witch from harming DG...

Wyatt knew it was going to take more than just a few months for Azkadellia to get over the nightmares, the constant regret and fear. There was a special detail for her security, its members each wearing a matching haunted expression these days. They never spoke of the shrieks of Azkadellia's night terrors, the physicians struggling to calm her, the uncontrollable weeping and holding on to her mother and father begging for forgiveness that was nearly a daily occurrence...

And Wyatt found himself praying for her to find peace nightly.

He never thought he'd be so understanding of the face behind so much pain, but then he'd never known there was so much pain behind that face.

DG cleared her throat and stopped talking all together, lost in thought and Wyatt sighed. This wasn't why she was out here and they both knew it. The rest of the week was for duty and stoic silence...but for just one day she was supposed to be having fun.

Wyatt smiled to himself with the knowledge of where they were headed, as it was sure to dissolve all of her troubles. He hadn't intended to show anyone else, but since DG wanted to go swimming...

"I found a little pool of water for you." He said nonchalantly and paused until she looked over at him with curiousity burning brightly in those blue eyes. "Really it's a perfect spot, if I do say so myself...has trees all around it but not covering it so the water won't be too cold. You can thank me whenever you're ready."

DG grinned.

Wyatt's body felt strangely lighter in its presence.

"You are _so_ great, Wyatt. You do know that, right?" She said with a laugh and he shook his head.

"Well, that's not a 'thank you'...but I suppose it'll do." He said, looking over at her and unable to contain his smile.

"How much farther?" She asked hopefully.

It was still early but the humidity was already unbearable. "Well, about an hour at this pace..." He said in feigned distraction and, repeating his move from a week earlier, DG guided Seraph to bump into Wrath and jar him. Wyatt cracked up and added. "But if you think you can _keep up_..."

"I can!" DG squealed.

"Then what are you waiting for?" Wyatt teased, making that noise with his cheek, his eyes locked with hers as he instantly bolted away with Wrath.

"Come on, Seraph. They're making us look bad!" She said as she urged him on and laughed excitedly when he took off like a shot.

Holding on was so much easier in a saddle and before long she was right behind Wyatt, her heart racing every time he turned and smiled at her over his shoulder.

She couldn't remember feeling this free before, her motorcycle hadn't offered anything close to this level of exhilaration.

They broke through the treeline into an expansive valley and once again she was astounded by the impossible size of the OZ. The view was unobstructed for miles in every direction and racing through the vastness on the back of a white stallion she could feel all of her stress melting away.

They were surrounded by nothing but pure, untouched nature as far as the eye could see, shining brightly beneath the suns of a crystal clear morning. She found that she was very quickly falling hopelessly in love with this world...the world that Wyatt was sharing with her secretly.

Before long they were cutting back toward the forest, and when he started to slow the pace she found that she was slightly disappointed. The feeling dissolved the instant she looked at his face.

Those blue eyes were glittering in anticipation as he came to a halt, his lips were curved in that smile that chased away every worry from his once pained features.

Wyatt was _excited_ about something...about showing her something...about sharing something _with her_. It was a breathtaking sight to behold.

He dismounted from Wrath and walked to her side, taking her hand and helping her off of Seraph's back. Her breath caught in her throat as she landed in front of him and he steadied her with a hand at her side. Those smiling eyes searched hers, and she nodded to the question he hadn't had to ask, laughing as he began pulling her by her hand into the forest.

Cain didn't seem like the same person in that moment, so full of life and energy, his silent joy washing over her in torrents.

She looked back to check but never should have doubted his command of the horses, they were following along faithfully.

The woods were dense here, so thick with brush and trees that she wondered how he had ever thought to venture within them. She couldn't see a thing but leaves around them, ducking her head and staring at his back as he pressed on with her in tow.

After several minutes of enjoying the view she noticed the forest was opening up slightly, though not much.

The thick canopy of trees above them was all but blocking out the sunslight, only allowing enough through for her to smile at the soft bed of clover covering the ground at their feet. She'd never seen such a vivid shade of green in all of her life. It had a spirit of its own here, hidden away from the rest of the world. It was in the very air she breathed, she could taste it, smell it, _feel_ it around her.

The knowledge that this place was a secret being shared with her by Wyatt made it all the more beautiful.

Sounds of water ahead paired with Wyatt casting a smile over his shoulder at her made her stomach flutter in excitement, he had that look that told her under no uncertain terms that this was going to be spectacular...

But nothing, not even his heavenly smile, could have prepared her for this.

Her eyes widened and feet froze in place, her jaw dropping open as the shimmering waterfall up ahead came into view. It fell from the mouth of a cliff and cascaded to the expansive pool of water, glittering in the suns, below them.

Every inch of the cliff sides surrounding it were covered in that ethereal green, its beauty beyond all comprehension and words. The place had to be a part of Finaqua's magic, something so spellbinding surely could not be created by nature alone.

The words _vast_ and _secluded _had never been used to describe the same place in her mind before. Despite its massive expanse it was completely surrounded by that wall of green, like partitions blocking out a totally separate land.

"You can thank me now." He said with that smile on his lips and she covered her mouth, tears literally forming in her eyes as she stood in awe.

"Wyatt...I can't...how did...it's so..." She whispered and he nodded.

"Again, not a 'thank you', but that'll do just fine." Wyatt laughed...and it was cut short when she turned and hugged him tightly without warning.

His brows drew together in a mix of confusion, pain, concern...but finally, when he could find no reason to fight it any longer, comfort.

"Thank you for bringing me here..." She muttered against his shoulder and he sighed.

"You're welcome, Princess." Wyatt said as he brought an arm around her slowly. He didn't even protest when she lingered a little too long in their embrace.

"No one will mind?" She asked as she turned back to the little piece of paradise he'd led her to and he laughed at the way she was hesitant to disturb the beauty she was witnessing. The place seemed sacred somehow, like she would taint it by simply touching it.

"DG, no one _owns_ this place. The closest thing to that would be the royal family ruling over it and since you _are_ the Princess, I guess it is kind of yours in a way." He said and she smiled, that tight-lipped smile she only gave when they were alone, her eyes sparkling so strikingly that it made it difficult to turn away.

By some miracle he managed to, and retrieved her pack from where it had been tucked behind Seraph's saddle.

DG started making her way down the steep incline to the waters edge, Wyatt holding her hand as he followed along to prevent her from slipping. He pointed out an alcove in the cliff side where she could change and immediately turned away from her, walking the short distance to a stone overlooking the water to wait...

And she found herself staring at the shape of his back for a moment before she was able to move_..._the way his blonde, clean cut hair glistened against the tanned skin of his neck...the shape of the shadow his hat cast over his shoulders...

_They could have tossed her through three travel-storms as long as he was waiting on the other side._..

The thought left her staring at him in complete shock. Her innocent little Cain Crush had apparently just taken a giant leap forward to something she wouldn't dare put a name to. But how could it not? Look at where they were standing for crying out loud! Surrounded by romantic scenery and all alone for miles in every direction.

This was all his fault for being so damned irresistible.

She shook her head and tried to ignore him standing there despite the sudden urge to go to him, to kiss him crazy...

_She could just imagine what his warm skin felt like through his shirt, his scent washing over her as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders...the thick, flexing muscle of his neck beneath her fingertips...the way his hands would hesitantly wander to the small of her back, drawing her closer but eventually pulling her off of him..._

_Though not until after he'd surrendered to her...just a little bit..._

It made her smile to imagine the surprise that would be on his beautiful face...his stammering with bruised lips something about honor and right and wrong...the lust that would be burning in those blue eyes no matter how much his words denied it...

DG was biting her lip as she undressed, half tempted to tell him he could turn around a bit sooner than he...or at least his honor... would appreciate. She struggled not to laugh imagining his jaw hanging open in shock, his face flushing as he tried to turn away from her...

_Oh bloody hell_.

She nearly laughed at her inner realization of defeat.

With a sigh she walked toward him, struggling to keep control of herself as she reached out for his shoulder. So she let her hand linger there just a few seconds longer than she needed to in order to get his attention, it was far less than what she was suddenly dying to do.

He turned to face her and for a second she feared her daydreaming had gotten the better of her, that she had really walked to him completely naked. His jaw fell open when he looked at her body, that brow damned near touching his hairline as it shot upward. His eyes widened before instantly becoming glued to her face.

She looked down at herself and verified that yes, she was indeed wearing clothing, but that's not what his expression was saying.

"_DG, what the_..." He stammered and she arched a brow at him.

"What's wrong?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips and eyeing him curiously.

"What do you _think_ is wrong? I told you to bring clothes to swim in!" Wyatt said, eyes still glued to her face as if looking down at her would attract a bolt of lightening from the heavens to smote him where he stood.

"Umm yeah, spaz - which is probably the reason why I _am_ wearing clothes to swim in." She motioned to the shorts she'd cut into bikini bottoms and tank top that was barely exposing three inches of midriff.

"Oh God..." He groaned and started to walk away from her, pinching the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes and pleaded for strength.

His heart was racing...which he was _desperately_ trying to attribute to the fact that she had surprised him...but seeing her so scantily clad was putting thoughts in his head that had no business being there.

He kept his eyes closed for fear of where they would wander if he relaxed his hold on them...but the damage was already done. His mind had latched on to the image of her in graphic detail, now replaying the scene inside his eyelids like some horrid little projector screen.

_That dark hair was pouring over her porcelain shoulders, her bare stomach and thighs reminding him tortuously of things he'd gone without for nearly a decade...the top she was wearing left **nothing** to the imagination and holy HELL she intended to get it soaked..._

His body tensed realizing how much worse things would become once she rose from the water with the material clinging to her form.

"Alright, that's it...we're..." He began, ready to call the whole thing off.

DG had figured as much, though, and he stopped mid-sentence to the sound of her diving into the water behind him.

When she resurfaced she found that he'd finally opened his eyes and grinned up at him. "There, all better, you can't see me anymore." She said with a laugh and he rolled his eyes.

_Yeah, until you come OUT of there_...He thought in a new type of frustration as he took a seat on a large stone on the ledge overlooking the water.

It was the perfect vantage point for a guard to keep a lookout, but unfortunately it was also the perfect vantage point for...

"Oh_, _for the love of..._come on!_ Give me a break!" He pleaded aloud after her head was under the water, because as she dove beneath its surface she curved her body resulting in that ass popping up for a full inspection, the soaked material of her shorts clinging to it shamelessly.

She resurfaced and pushed her sopping hair from her face. "What?" She called up to him, though she was pretty sure what had been said despite it being muffled beneath the water.

He shook his head and cursed, looking away and muttering something about her being a 'holy terror' and how he needed to get his affairs in order because she was sending him to an early grave.

DG grinned. He was adorable when he grumbled to himself.

"So wait...what are you gonna wear to swim, then?" She asked, scowling since she already knew the answer.

"I'm **not**." He said shortly.

DG just couldn't resist.

"You're _'not'_, huh? Well, I thought my attire was pushing it, but if you're coming in here naked then..."

His eyes widened and she burst out laughing as he shook his head and pointed at her in warning.

"You know damned well what I meant, little missy. I'm not '_swimming'_. I'm not '_coming in'_. And I'm most certainly not going to risk getting caught in there with you while you're wearing what you're wearing...or should I say NOT wearing." He was trying not to play along, not to let the smile come to his lips, but she was just so damned cute with her goading.

His eyes wandered over the landscape much less than they should have, spending far more time watching her diving under the water than was good for his health. And here he was wondering about her orientation again, as troubling as that was. He ignored the correlation of the timing between seeing her scantily clad ass and his wondering if she was attracted to men.

She was whining now that playing in the water alone was no fun, asking him to at least walk around the edge of the water and play something called 'Marco Polo' with her. But his thoughts were far too busy at the moment to try even after she'd explained the premise of the game.

He could just see it now...

_"Marco!" _

_"Polo...soooo...who did you lose your virginity to?"_

_"What? Oh, umm, Lee...Marco!"_

_"Polo...Lee?...huh...Hey DG, I was just wondering...do you have sex with girls?"_

The images that came to mind with that thought were far more intriguing than he cared to own up to. He waited for her to sink below the surface of the water before growling in frustration and adjusting his...gun...

This was bad. This was really, _really_ bad.

He couldn't be thinking these things about DG, it just wouldn't do. They were friends and that's what she needed...that's as far as it was going so _Oh MY GOD stop picturing doing that!_ His breathing was quickening and he considered for a moment finding a nice, shaded, **frigid** part of the water to submerge himself in.

_But then he'd be within grabbing distance of that horrible little top that kept slipping over her shoulder._...

Wyatt was in trouble here and he knew it.

He had just decided to say he was going to scout the area to allow himself a moment to clear his thoughts when he glanced down and saw her face frozen in panic.

In an instant he was on his feet with his hand on his gun. "What is it?" He asked, his eyes instantly searching everywhere at once for threat.

"_Something_...something touched my leg..." She said, her little mouth forming an O as her wide eyes wandered to the water around her, it was too dark to see the bottom and her heart was in her throat.

Wyatt sighed, removing his hand from his gun and shaking his head. "Probably just a fish, don't _do_ that...I thought for a second..."

"SNAKE! SNAKE! It's a SNAKE!" She started squealing and splashing, swimming in circles and Wyatt was trying his damnedest not to laugh at her.

"There aren't any venomous...DG just relax it's just...Calm down, kid!...DG would you please...It's not going to bite you!" He was crouching on the ledge now, watching her and unable to keep himself from cracking up at this point as she darted aimlessly away from the unseen predator.

"Out! Out! I want out now!" She was screeching as she swam toward him frantically.

"Well you can't get out here, you have to go around to the...DG!" He called but she wasn't listening, and it didn't make it any easier to stop laughing at her.

"Pull me up!" She pleaded, trying to scale the sheer underside of the ledge he was crouched on now, eyes wide as she continued her frantic thrashing in the water.

Wyatt shook his head, putting one hand on the stone beside his foot to steady himself as he extended the other to her. She latched on and he almost had her...

ALMOST...

At least until she came out of the water enough to spot the snake slithering up her side.

She let out the most adorable, hilarious, _ear-piercingly _shrill shriek that Wyatt had ever heard, and had he more time he would have laughed at it...but DG, in her snake fearing state of panic, decided to try to climb up Wyatt's arm like a tree.

* * *

You know that instant when you realize you're going in and there is _nothing_ you can do about it?

* * *

"Oh you have GOT to be..." He bellowed as he lost his footing due to the flailing Princess attached to his arm, and as the surface of that water rapidly approached he was already pissed off about his gun getting wet.

DG was still squealing when he came up for air, and with his teeth clenched together painfully he made his way over to her. That snake was sent by the witch herself to do this to him, he was sure of it. He snatched it off of DG and tossed it clear across the water, listening to DG's whimpering die down before she finally turned to face him.

Her jaw fell open seeing the indignation on his face.

"Umm...hehe...Thanks?" She tried, but his face was red as he turned and made his way to the shore. "Well you're already in here...why don't you just..."

He turned back and arched the feared brow and she snapped her mouth shut.

It very quickly fell back open as he climbed out of the water, those wondrously tight pants now soaked and clinging to him in _all_ the right places...

_Holy mother of_...

She felt faint, unable to tear her eyes away and thankful that he was too mad to look at her. She knew she would still be staring even if he did. His shirt was sticking to muscles on his back she'd never dared to think about, and bless his heart, he turned back to fish his hat out of the water - prolonging her view. The top few buttons of his shirt were opened, even beneath what was normally left open, and as he stretched for his beloved fedora her breath was catching in her throat.

She'd never been quite so thirsty in her life as she was seeing the droplets of water on his bare chest.

_Hubba, hubba, hubba..._

If she wasn't in the water she surely would have collapsed, her legs felt like they were made of rubber.

Wyatt stalked off toward the trees with DG watching him like a dog begging for table-scraps, unable to contain her disappointment once he was out of sight.

She was swimming to the shore without thought, climbing out and heading in the direction he'd gone.

He couldn't be going far, he definitely wasn't mad enough to be leaving her alone in the...

"_Oh_..." She breathed. Her mouth hung open lazily, eyes glazing over as she came around a tree just in time to see him pulling off his shirt.

If it wasn't for a steadying hand on the tree she would have very ungracefully swooned and collapsed to the ground at the sight of him.

_Standing there beside his horse...those tight, soaked pants clinging to him...the rays of sunslight glistening on the water droplets covering his skin...his fedora on his head no matter how drenched it was...that square jaw flexing in frustration..._

He turned toward her and she closed her mouth to prevent the words, "holy hot cowboy" from escaping.

"Don't even." He said as he held up a hand and she struggled not to smile. "You and me are not on speaking terms right now. Just trot your happy little ass right back down there and wait."

_DAMN_ her and those tiny little cut up shorts. And that soaking wet top. And the breeze that was making the matter of her chilled flesh all the more painfully apparent.

_It was obviously a tit bit nipply...err..._he shook his head and turned back to unfastening Wrath's saddle..._a tad bit nippy for her...yeah, that's what he'd meant to think..._

"What'cha doin?" She asked, but only received an aggravated point toward the direction of the water and she sighed as she complied.

_Of course not until after she'd taken a moment to enjoy the view he was providing of the profile of his bare torso._

She went back to the waters edge and waited for a while, and after realizing that she was freaking freezing she went and changed into her clothes again, silently hoping to have Wyatt stumble on her while she was doing it. But no such luck.

Minutes ticked by and finally curiosity got the better of her, she had to find out what he was up to over there.

How could things get any more perfect? She bit her lip painfully to prevent a fangirlish sigh from escaping her lips when she returned to where she'd left him and found his clothes...even those marvelous pants and his fedora...laying out to dry.

"Didn't I tell you to go wait?" She heard him ask and closed her eyes for a second before turning.

_Please be naked, please be naked, please be naked..._

So he was wearing the saddle blanket, but by **God **the man looked good in it. He had it wrapped around his waist and she was instantly salivating seeing how low on his hips it was sitting. He glared at her and rolled his eyes before turning back to the horses angrily.

DG was trying her best to keep even the slightest _hint_ of a smile from her lips...but let me assure you, it wasn't easy.

"Cain?"

He only grunted in response.

"I know you said you're not speaking to me right now..."

Another grunt, this one with more aggravation behind it.

"But I just wanted to say that I am very... truly... _really_... _**extremely**_... sorry about this..." She said, biting her lips and pleading her expression to remain serious.

Wyatt turned and glared at her over his shoulder, a look of indignation frozen on his features as he eyed her up like the devil incarnate.

His brow was arched, his face beet red...its color made all the more noticeable in the absence of his hat...or any of his clothes, for that matter...


	11. Protector

"You still brooding over there?" DG asked and heard him let out an annoyed grumble.

If only he knew how adorable that was he'd probably stop doing it…

"I am **not** brooding." He said shortly and she struggled not to laugh.

It had been nearly a half an hour since she'd stumbled upon his blanket-clad ass and she had thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it, no matter how much pouting he was doing over there.

Bottom line? She had a front row seat from her perch on a fallen tree to the best show in the OZ. She'd taken full advantage of that time to reflect on things such as her sudden attraction to chest hair, since at one point she hadn't been able to understand why women found it appealing. On Wyatt it was _devastatingly_ sexy.

She wasn't going to let him know that over the past few months she'd learned a lot about what she was capable of doing with her magic. In all honesty she could have dried those clothes inside of two minutes. However, that would be a risky proposition. If she messed up, who knew – _sneezed_ or something – and burnt his clothes to a crisp he'd think she'd done it on purpose to prolong his nudity…

And the fact was that was precisely the second reason she was keeping her mouth shut. The faster those clothes dried the faster he was going to cover up. She was in no rush to be through with her private Tin Man review.

"Well can you at least stop treating me like I've got cooties?" She said with a laugh and he turned to her with a look of confusion on his face reminding her yet again of the language barrier. "Right, sorry. No cooties in the OZ. Got it." She said with a sigh, swinging her legs back and forth beneath her.

He was standing at least twenty feet away from her, hand firmly holding that saddle blanket in place to prevent anything from an unexpected breeze to Wrath's sense of humor from stripping him of it.

It was probably for his own safety, she had to admit the thought had occurred to her to use a little discrete magic to send that thing sailing.

Wyatt reached over and felt his clothes again, damning them for taking so long. They were still damp to say the least, but he decided once the worst of the moisture had dissipated he was going to dress to put an end to this awkwardness.

"Hey!" DG said as a thought occurred to her and he turned to find that familiar smile on her face as she hopped down off the tree. "I almost forgot. I got you something." She said, digging a hand in her pocket as she approached and ignoring the way he eyed her up as if he was considering bolting in the other direction.

But curiosity got the better of him and he wracked his brain trying to figure out firstly, what she could have gotten him, secondly, when she could have done it, and thirdly, why she would do something like that.

She smiled at the intrigue that was on his face now instead of a scowl and answered the questions she could see in his eyes. "That day when my mother had to go into Central City and made me tag along…"

Ah yes, he remembered that one. He was still pissed about it, too.

He'd been off duty and no one had informed him of the little trip until after the fact. He'd instead had to hear about it from Jeb, who had been given about two minutes notice of it with no time to tell his father.

Wyatt had been _livid_. It was stupidity like that which resulted in kidnappings, assassinations…it didn't matter if it was his scheduled shift or not, when DG was leaving the safety of the palace he should always be notified. He'd had a few choice words regarding the matter with the head of the Queen's security…and needless to say it wouldn't be happening again. DG was _his_ charge, not theirs, it wasn't a package deal.

DG smiled at the sudden flaring of his nostrils, knowing he was still ticked off and hoping she would be able to distract him from it.

Truth be told she'd been tickled pink by his alpha male tirade regarding the fact that she was _his_ responsibility. Like having your boyfriend deck a guy in the face for disrespecting you, seeing him so angry and speaking in such a low threatening tone to people he felt had put her in danger made her heart flutter.

"Anyway, she was yapping with some politician for like an hour before the actual ceremony we had to sit through so I went in a few of the shops…" His brow shot up and she added quickly, "with _several_ guards following me…" knowing his outrage at the idea of her wandering the city alone. "I saw this and thought of you, and I'm sorry if it's not customary for men to wear these here because I couldn't ask anyone if it was an appropriate gift for my secret friend the Tin Man…"

She was stalling, averting her eyes, unsure of herself suddenly and he had to smile, no matter how naked he felt.

"So let's see it." He said and she sighed.

"Alright, but like I said I don't want you getting all huffy with me or think I'm attacking your manhood or something…"

Wyatt laughed and she looked up at him, seeing the genuine smile on his face she started to relax again. She pulled a little velvet bag from her pocket finally, shaking a necklace out into her hand and draping it across her fingers for him to inspect it.

A small silver pendant was dangling at the end of a leather throng, simple and beautiful, not feminine in any way and he leaned in for a closer look. DG tried to breathe normally in the sudden close proximity to his bare chest, but it was difficult.

"I _really_ like it, DG…what does it mean?" He asked as he traced a fingertip over the symbol, it was almost mesmerizing to him. He could understand why she'd picked it as he was so distracted by staring at it that he barely noticed how close he was standing now.

It was all she could do to keep standing hearing his low voice so near to her ear.

"It's the symbol for '_Protector'_ in the ancient language. I thought it was funny that it reminded me of you before I even knew that." She said back in a similar soft voice and Wyatt fought the urge to lean in closer to the sound. His entire body was begging him to.

He stood back from her slightly with a great deal of effort and smiled. "Thank you, sweetheart. You didn't have to do that."

_Sweetheart?_

She nearly fainted.

"Well it was going to be a '_thank you for being so great to me_' present, but I guess now it's an '_I'm sorry I pulled you into the water' present instead_." She said quietly, trying to use humor to steady her quivering nerves as she gazed up into those eyes of his.

Something was behind them now that she'd never seen before; she studied it for a moment trying to figure it out and he arched a brow, turning and clearing his throat as he smiled to himself. _Damned kid is getting too good at reading me…_

If she looked any closer she would recognize the unfamiliar burning in his eyes for what it was.

_Lust_.

"Alright, I'm going to get dressed in my damp clothes now so that I can be uncomfortable for the rest of the day…" He teased and she smiled. "You get down there to the water and stay put this time. And for the love of God, if you see a snake _don't_ come running back here."

DG burst out laughing at that one, the image of him just beginning to step into his pants and having her leaping on to his bare back screeching about another snake was priceless. Oh and she could so picture the look that would be on his face, too.

She turned to walk away but stopped when she heard him clear his throat purposefully, looking over her shoulder at him in confusion.

"Umm…DG? Aren't you forgetting something?" He held out a hand and she grinned.

So he wasn't just pretending to appreciate the gift…it made her stomach flip-flop.

"Wyatt Cain…" She said in a formal tone as she approached and he studied her face, unsure of what she was up to. She held up the necklace and motioned for him to lower his head. Wyatt slowly complied and she placed the throng around his neck, trying not to let her hands linger too long as she brushed against his warm skin. "Trusted guardian and secret friend of the Princess of the OZ, I dub thee…my Protector."

Wyatt looked at her in astonishment, that sweet smile on her face belying the gravity of her words…

And neither of them noticed the small flicker of magic that passed over the symbol as she said it.

"Princess…" He breathed and she stood on her tiptoes, kissing his cheek before bouncing away toward the waters edge as he'd asked.

He stood in shock for a long time, staring at the place where she had disappeared into the trees and clutching the silver pendant in his fist.


	12. A Weakness for Blondes and Redheads

Moments had passed and after dressing Wyatt found himself frozen in place, lost in stunned silence and wondering what he could say in response to DG's actions.

He was drawing a blank.

Thankfully the throng at his neck was the perfect length to keep the pendent hidden beneath his shirt, even past the usual opened buttons. He didn't want to attract any unnecessary attention to the gift…despite the gravity of the honor she had just bestowed upon him.

There was certainly royal blood flowing through the girl's veins; she had given him his naming in the seclusion of the forest as if standing before the thrown she would eventually ascend to…and had done so without so much as batting an eyelash. She had spoken the words in the appropriate manner as if it was innate knowledge passed to her with her magic, the act as natural to her as breathing.

He pulled the pendent free again, tracing his thumb along the surface as he stared at it. The weight of it was impossible for such a seemingly delicate piece of metal, he wondered as he noted how aged it was whether it had been cast out of that morytanium the witch had been mining…

His mind was far too busy at the moment to put much thought into the implications of that possibility. A hand wandered to the cheek she'd kissed so sweetly, the act had been even more heartfelt this time than the day of their first walk. His eyes became veiled as he recalled the sensation.

_It hadn't been unpleasant, that was for damned sure._

With a sigh he let the pendent slip back beneath his shirt, his fingers idly checking that it was secure through the material as he put Wrath's saddle back on with the blanket beneath it once more.

DG was waiting for him down by the water, humming to herself contentedly and looked up from her reverie when she heard him approach.

"Well, well…look who decided to put on some _clothes_." She said with a grin and he rolled his eyes.

He was still in shock over what she'd just done, but couldn't help but laugh as she shook her head, wearing an adorable little mock scowl as she continued.

"Leave it to me to get paired with a nudist Tin Man, I tell ya…it'll be the talk of the palace. I can just hear them now: '_did you see that Wyatt Cain today strutting the halls in all his glory?', 'And still sporting that gun holster and fedora, no less_.' But hey, if that's your thing I'm fine with it, more power to you." She held up her hands and struggled to maintain a serious expression. "At least it'll drastically cut down on the amount of time those suitors want to hang around…well, _**most of them**_, anyway. A few of them might become more eager to get me to marry them thinking you'll be a part of the package. I'm gonna have to ask that you at least keep the saddle blanket on during formal events, though; I don't think my mother will be able to handle your sudden decision to forego clothing."

"You are terrible." He said with a laugh as she stood.

"_Yeah_, but that's why you love me so much." She responded with a grin and he arched a brow.

He gave her one of those, '_Indeed_' looks before shaking his head and deciding it was better to leave that statement alone. "Come get something to eat. You've got another riding lesson before we head back."

DG bounced over to him and promptly latched herself onto his arm, a small part of her nearly passed out when she realized she was touching him but for some reason she was surprisingly _relaxed_ despite her addiction to him.

Something was different…

She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was a warm comfort in her beyond the simple pleasure of contact with him. It was…_new_.

Maybe it was love, but it didn't feel like it was that alone.

Wyatt was trying to ignore her little head resting on his shoulder as they walked, and definitely avoiding acknowledging to himself how pleasant he found it to be.

Something was nagging him as they made their way to the clearing where Seraph and Wrath were standing, he wracked his brain trying to figure out what it could be and finally realized he had the perfect opportunity here…

DG had just brought up the subject of A) her suitors and B) homosexuality.

"So, speaking of suitors…that reminds me. What did you think of that one you were stuck with yesterday?" He asked nonchalantly, though DG detected a hint of amusement in his voice.

"That little troll? _Ugh!_If I ever see him coming into the palace again I'm going to 'accidentally' turn him into a mobat so he'll be more attractive." She said in disgust, and finally had to laugh imagining the pompous windbag fluttering around her pleading to be changed back.

"Well maybe you could tell your mother what you're looking for in a suitor, that way she will bring ones that are more appropriate for your tastes." He said casually, baiting her to give him something to go on.

Such as:_ 'Well Wyatt, I like them curvy with **long **hair. I've always had a weakness for blondes and redheads and full, pouty lips are a **must**…'_

"Pfft…first requirement? They can't be a **suitor**." She said with a laugh and he held his breath.

_Maybe a suit-**ress**, perhaps?_

She was unpacking the food, not noticing that her silence was causing Wyatt to eye her up like an uncooperative suspect in an interrogation.

He spread the blanket out across the grass and sat down as she scooted onto the other side, handing over a container of food and licking something off her finger before looking up at him. When she saw the inquisitive look on his face she paused with her finger still in her mouth.

"_What?_" She asked around it.

"Hmm?" Wyatt responded as if he didn't know what she meant, then feigned disinterest. "Oh, nothing. Just curious…"

"So anxious to see me married off, Wyatt?" She teased.

Both of them flinched at that sentence.

"I'm just…" Ouch that had stung for some reason, "taking an interest in the monotonous routine of your daily life, that's all." He said with a smile.

But DG was like a dog on a bone now, narrowing her gaze on him in a fashion he was unaccustomed to being on the receiving end of.

"_What?_" It was his turn to ask.

"You're up to something…" She said, holding up a finger and shaking it at him. "What are you fishing for, Tin Man?"

Wyatt laughed. "Really, nothing…it's nothing…"

"Well since I already have this gut feeling you're asking these questions with an ulterior motive, I have to wonder what reason would you have for…"

DG's eyebrow shot up and she smiled at him.

Wyatt's mind exploded in denial.

_**Shit! Mayday! Mayday!**_

She thought he was asking…for himself…

So that he could…

"The staff thinks you're gay." He blurted out and her jaw fell open. It was an adorable sight to behold.

_Smooth_, he chided himself, _really smooth_.

DG burst out laughing and he eyed her wondering if she'd flipped her lid, if not she was taking this extremely well…unless…

_Crap, she really was the lesbian Princess of the OZ_…

She was still giggling her ass off, starting to calm until she noted the curiosity burning in his eyes and lost it again. When she finally regained control of herself she had to struggle to keep a straight face.

"Well, what do _**you**_ think, Wyatt?" She asked, biting her bottom lip and already seeing that this was something he'd spent a great deal of time wondering about in silence.

He cleared his throat and averted his eyes. _Way to kick that one right back to him_…

"It doesn't make a difference to me…though I will say this much, you're trouble enough as it is. At least if you were gay I wouldn't have to worry about the men quite as much…and the only **_girl_** I would worry about stealing your '_innocence'_is already doing that with Jeb." He said, laughing with her as she launched into another fit of giggles.

"Oh _God_. Not that mouthy little blonde one?" She said and Wyatt had to hold his stomach he was laughing so hard.

"That'd be the one." He said.

"Is **_she_** the one saying I'm gay?" She asked, and Wyatt studied her face for a second.

Was she asking as in, '_who's ass am I going to kick'_ or '_do you think she's interested?_'

The suspense was killing him and DG had yet to answer the damned question.

"She's the ringleader, yes. She seems to think it would be wonderful for the OZ to have two Queens and that your homosexuality would be a brilliant political move."

He was struggling not to say, '_come on, out with it already!_' when she finally answered his silent plea.

"Well, the answer is **no**, despite the fact that I agree having two Queens would benefit the OZ." She said with a smile as she shoved his shoulder playfully.

And for some unknown reason all seemed right with the world again for Wyatt.


	13. Definitely Worth Checking Into

She took a bite of her sandwich, the grin on her face making it difficult to chew. _So he'd been freaking out about this…he was really bothered by the prospect of her not liking men…_

_Hmm…_

It wasn't much, but it was a light at the end of the tunnel.

"So she's tagging Jeb, huh?" DG asked and Wyatt's face flushed for a fraction of a second at her bluntness.

"They're…_seeing one another_…yes." He said with a smile, taking a large bite of his own sandwich to prevent her from seeking another answer for a while.

"They're 'seeing one another', huh? Is that what we call it here in the OZ?" She snorted. "Of course if either of them were **royalty** this wouldn't be such a laughing matter." She said with a smile, though it melted away rather quickly as she came to the realization of her fate.

_There was to be no sex before marriage for her_…

Or rather, _no __**MORE**__ sex before marriage_…

She let out a choppy sigh. How was she supposed to _live_ with that? Especially with this smoldering hunk of a Tin Man following her around all the time making her fantasize about late night…_riding lessons_…

Wyatt had been chewing as slowly as possible, but it was almost time to give up his self induced inability to speak. He discretely rolled his eyes.

_Great_, now he would have to console her because she couldn't have sex whenever she wanted_? While parts of him had other ideas about how that consoling could be managed… _

What could he possibly say? That she should think about chirping birds or something when she had the urge?

That if she _**did**_ decide to do it she had better be _**damned**_ sure of the man's ability to keep his mouth shut and be beyond discrete?

That thought alone scorched his insides.

_The idea of her taking some nameless guard to her bed and allowing him to_…

Wyatt cringed realizing that as her 'secret friend' he'd be the one posted at her door turning a blind eye to the arrival and departure of her chosen lover.

With that he immediately began compiling a list of guards that would be kept at a distance from her from that point forward to prevent any temptation, if a woman could find them even _slightly_ attractive they were now a threat to DG's safety in his mind.

It was settled. He would need to recruit overweight, facially deformed and _odiferous_ men like **pronto**…

Maybe with lazy eyes, bad teeth and worse breath...

Acne…

_Tons_ of back hair…

Eunuchs, even…

Wyatt nodded to himself that the availability of eunuchs was definitely worth checking into.

"So…" She began and he breathed a sigh of relief that she was going to change subjects and put an end to the awkward silence. "When we were in Central City I overheard people talking about the Long-Coats…they're still around?"

And way to lead into _another_ topic he didn't want to discuss with her.

Wyatt's muscles went rigid and he took another quick bite to buy himself a few seconds before answering. He couldn't blame her for asking, she had a right to know what was going on and back at the palace no one told the 'young Princess' anything that could be considered troubling.

"Yeah…they're '_still around'_, DG." He said softly.

DG tilted her head to the side and spoke in that matter-of-fact tone, not questioning the truth of her words. "And that's why you were so angry that they took me into the city without telling you."

He shook his head and smirked before looking up at her. She wasn't going to show him any mercy here.

"Yes. That's precisely the reason." He said shortly, hoping these quick answers would tell her to drop it, but he knew better.

She bit her lip and locked eyes with him, knowing how he would react to her next statement. "I heard them saying a few of the Long-Coats were caught…that the Tin Men were only able to get out of them that they intend on coming after my family."

Wyatt groaned inwardly.

Firstly, the _only_ reason the Tin Men hadn't gotten more details out of those bastards before they'd killed themselves was because _**he**_ hadn't been involved in the interrogation. _Damned rookies_….

Secondly, the Long-Coats weren't focusing on DG's '_family'_…they were focusing _solely_ on DG and Azkadellia.

"That's the gist of it, yes." He said, not wanting to voice his concerns.

DG shook her head and laughed softly. "Can't they just get jobs like normal people? Doesn't the whole 'rape, pillage and plunder' scene get old after a while?"

Wyatt smiled despite the sadness in his eyes. "I guess not, kiddo."

"Zero is still locked up tight though, right?" She asked.

His jaw flexed at the shock of hearing the name but he had to give her credit, she was thinking rather strategically about what the Long-Coats might be after.

"They're _not_ going to be able to break him out." He answered; at least he'd had a hand in that much of it. The witch herself would have had a hell of a time getting Zero past the level of security around that prison.

"Good." DG said, giving a nod of approval before standing and putting the empty containers of food back into the basket.

Wyatt watched her in discrete awe as they packed everything away; she wasn't worrying about the impending danger, she was simply asking him to make her aware of it. She'd never cease to amaze him.

"I've got an idea." She said once they were back on their horses.

"God, what _now_?" He asked as he rolled his eyes and laughed.

"No, no…hear me out on this one." She said, and he cast her a sideways glance noting that all amusement was now gone from her voice. "You _yourself_ told my parents that there were security benefits to me learning to ride a horse. You didn't say the words but it was implied that if a situation ever arose where I was alone and needed to escape it would be useful for me to have that knowledge, correct?" She asked in an unfamiliar tone.

Wyatt eyed her curiously.

Yet another layer in the complex puzzle that was DG. Her voice was confident and mature, her eyes flashing with intelligence as she thought something over in great detail. This was the woman who would rule the OZ one day speaking, not the quirky Princess he had befriended.

With great dismay he found himself just as intrigued by the future Queen.

"_Right_…" He answered cautiously, feeling like he was being led into a trap.

"So if I were to learn _other_ things, say for instance…how to use a gun…" She began.

"Oh for the _love_ of…" Wyatt cut in but she raised a hand and continued.

"Not for use on a daily basis, just so that I would_ have_ the knowledge in case I ever needed it..." DG explained but Wyatt shook his head.

"Listen to me DG, that is why you have **bodyguards**. That is exactly why your parents posted me and Jeb to watch over you. You're not going to be out there fighting the _bad guys_ while there's still air left in my lungs." Wyatt said determinedly.

DG didn't have to say another word.

The way her eyes locked with his and mouth formed a tight line said enough.

_And what if there was no longer air left in those lungs?_

His features softened slightly at the unspoken words and he averted his eyes. "_Damn it, DG_…" He breathed as he gritted his teeth.

_Why did she always have to make so much damned __**sense**__ all the time? _

He closed his eyes and shook his head. She had a point and it was absolute _bullshit_ that he was finding himself agreeing with her on it.

"You and I both know they don't see my mother as a threat, Wyatt." DG said softly.

Cain's eyes opened again quickly, widening in surprise as he looked over at her. _She really was thinking this through from a rational stand point…she was putting words to something he never would have said to her and was remaining level-headed about the issue_.

She was staring him straight in the eyes as she spoke, every bit of that inner strength shining brightly behind the blue. "They know she can be taken from power because they've already seen it done in the past. It's us. It's _**me**_ and _**Az**_ who scare them. Don't you think I should prepare in case something happens? Personally I find the ability to use a _gun_ to be more valuable to my future in the OZ than learning how to use the correct _fork_ at the dinner table."

They rode in silence for a few moments before he could get himself to speak.

The girl had a whole lot of wisdom hidden up her sleeve that she seemed to bring out on special occasions. He'd seen it several times before the eclipse, now here it was again to change his mind.

"If anyone finds out…" He began but sighed and trailed off. "We can't tell anyone about this." He said softly and waited for her to nod her understanding.

After another long moment of silence he thought aloud. "I'll have to tell the men that you're going to sketch or something…that I'm planning on doing target practice out here to keep myself entertained… that way they don't come running if they hear shots in the distance…"

"Next weekend." She said with a grin and waited for his reluctant smile in return.

"Next weekend." He agreed.

They began their riding lesson immediately after that, each retreating to their own private thoughts regarding the Long-Coats and what might lie ahead on the distant horizon, too distracted to bother joking around about terms such as _bare-backing_ or what could be taken as double entendres.

DG was an exceptional student, all puns aside.

He was astounded by the difference in her abilities since the week prior and knew it had a great deal to do with the saddle. Riding a horse without one was a challenge; he decided that once she had mastered riding with full tack he would let her get a lot more practice in without it.

He withdrew into his mind at some point, _reflecting on the difference in his existence from eight annuals prior…the days had passed so slowly, yet somehow it seemed to have gone by impossibly fast. _

_And here he was, with this energetic, caring sprite of a girl who had set him free..._

_Blue eyes cast upward; he gauged how long it would take to return and sighed, calling out to her that it was about that time. _

_He watched her approach and couldn't bring himself to look away for whatever reason, a strange sensation forming in his chest. _

_What if something really were to happen to her?_

_She fell in beside him, each of them walking next to their horses as conversation became surprisingly light. _

_That laugh…that easy, heartfelt laugh of hers…it echoed in his mind and never failed to bring a smile to his face. _

_The way the wind played at her hair, the way her bright blue eyes lit up when she smiled at him…the sunslight dancing over her porcelain skin…_

_He felt like he was dreaming, the world surreal to his senses…_

_A stir of echoed whispers, barely audible at first and growing in intensity hissed in his ears causing him to stop and look around in confusion. _

_The pendant _heated_ against his flesh suddenly, _searing_ him and the instant his hand moved to pull it away _he snapped back to reality.

He opened his mouth to call out in pain…

"**DG**, _**STOP!**_"

Eyes closed, he _heard_ himself scream out to her in warning as he clutched the pendant and she froze, staring at him in shock as he struggled to catch his breath.

The world was slowly returning to normality again, sounds of birds and creaking trees rushing in on him as he blinked and tried to understand what the hell was happening.

"Why am I stopping?" She said softly, eyeing him with concern straining her features. "And are you okay?" She asked fearfully, not wanting to approach until he'd clarified his warning.

"_I'm_…"

He had no idea. His hand was still clutching his chest, the metal cool in his palm now despite the heat and pain of a second earlier.

The thoughts that had been swirling around in his mind, those whispered fragments of warning all fell into place and his expression changed to startled realization.

He knew…but _how_ did he know?

Without saying a word he walked to where DG was standing, motioning for her to back up a few paces. Part of him prayed he was wrong, mind you…but he knew he wasn't.

He knelt down and with a shaky hand he reached out and began pulling away the limbs and overgrowth that were covering the chasm, shielding it from view completely. The more he pulled away the more his worry grew.

_The pit that was slowly becoming visible would have easily claimed the lives of her and Seraph both… _

DG peeked over his shoulder and her jaw fell open. "_Holy_…how did you _**see**_ that?" She stammered, eyeing the back of his head in shock. "Damn, you're good! Oh God…that was way too close…" She said and backed the horses further away, much more wary of the ground she was walking on as she did so.

But Wyatt stayed in place long after he'd finished clearing the annuals of camouflage that had accumulated over what had so nearly been a rocky grave for the Princess and the stallion.

He stared down into its depths, his hand idly checking the pendant at his neck as he realized some research into the origins of this little 'gift' was definitely in order…


	14. Wonders Never Cease

Wyatt was understandably quiet for the remainder of the trek back to the palace.

DG chalked it up to him disliking the fact that she'd almost been injured, or more correctly, _killed_ and left him to his trademark stoicism. She was still thanking her lucky stars that he'd managed to spot that pit before it had been too late.

The second before the palace came into view she decided she had to say it…she caught his hand and waited for him to turn to her, his brows drawn in confusion as she jarred him from his thoughts.

"Listen Wyatt…I just wanted to say thank you…for saving me…again…" She said with a smile, her heart fluttering at how small her hand felt in the warmth of his large calloused grip…and the fact that he didn't take it away.

He laughed softly and shook his head. "You know you don't need to say that…_but_ you're welcome." He said and smiled (actually _smiled_) when she grinned and hugged him tightly in appreciation.

Having his chin resting on top of her head as her face pressed against his chest was the closest thing to heaven DG could imagine. She swore she could get high off of his scent…_leather and Wyatt mixed with the slightest hint of aftershave_…it was like comfort and security in aromatherapy form. If she could figure out how to make candles with it she'd be a millionaire.

When they (yes, I said _**they**_) hesitantly ended the embrace and made their way to the palace they each had their own places to go and people to see.

Instead of the usual changing of the guard at her room they had intercepted Jeb out in the hallway and said their usual formal 'goodnight' before parting company.

Wyatt was gritting his teeth as he stalked off in search of answers. There was one person he knew would have them, no matter how difficult it would be to extract the information.

He knocked once and opened the door to Glitch's library/laboratory, stepping over stacks of paperwork as he entered the expansive room. It had started out as a normal library of ancient texts, the perimeter walls of the room in all directions were still covered in shelves of the millions of dusty volumes…but back when Ambrose had been appointed to his position of Royal Advisor it had been modified to meet the needs of his ever-inventive mind.

As always the place was a disaster area, machines whirring and clicking from every direction, row after row of tables cluttered with books and unfriendly looking liquids in a wide array of bottles and jars. Wyatt smirked wondering what 'Ambrose' would have thought of the way his office was run these days.

"Hey head-case, you in here?" He called and waited a moment.

"I'm up…Oh, _Cain!_ So good to see you! Come on up!" Glitch called in that ever chipper voice.

Cain sighed seeing that he was on the upper level. Climbing up the stairs in here was a dangerous proposition. There was always some little mechanized creation or another making the trek at the same time. They were _never_ polite if they ran into something, say for instance _Wyatt_, which impeded their progress.

"_Ow!_ _**Son of a**_ –" Cain said angrily as right on cue, half way up the stairs, a machine rammed into the back of his leg. He stepped to the side to allow it to pass and resisted the urge to shoot it, swearing that the damned things just _waited_ for him before springing into motion.

Glitch gave him an apologetic look from where he stood wearing an odd variation of glasses as he worked on a small mechanized device.

"I'm just popular this evening, first Raw here stops by…" Glitch said and Cain's brows drew together in amusement seeing the Viewer have to lean past a stack of papers to waive. "And now you. So what brings you?" He asked, but Cain knew better than to try his luck just yet. After months of conversation he had learned to wait for the first misfire to pass before speaking.

"I'm just popular this evening, first Raw here stops by…" Raw waived again for Glitch's benefit. "And now you. So what brings you?" Glitch asked again and Cain leaned against the table, waiting for the usual unwanted analysis from fuzzy-lips.

"Cain worried…has questions…" Raw said and Cain rolled his eyes, giving the Viewer a 'thank you for stating the obvious' smirk.

"I need you to look at this and tell me _what_ it is, _where_ it came from and…just how much trouble I'm in." Cain said with a sigh.

Glitch turned to him quickly at his words, his eyes filled with concern as the Tin Man pulled the pendant out from behind his shirt. Glitch held out his hand expectantly, watching Cain reach up to take it off…

But with a brow arched defiantly Cain came to a _horrible_ realization.

He couldn't _**make**_ himself remove it.

I mean we're talking hands on the throng, willing the muscles to move to lift it over his head, trying his _damnedest_ to get his arms to cooperate…but **nothing**.

The sudden shock in his eyes was enough for Glitch. He approached Cain with that serious expression on his face making it clear that he was having one of those totally lucid moments. He bit his lip, reaching toward the throng to remove it from the Tin Man…though he already gathered it wouldn't be so simple.

Cain instinctively held the pendant tightly, stepping away to prevent its removal and looked even more disturbed than before.

_Great, now his body was deciding when it __**did**__ and __**didn't**__ want to move without his permission? _

Glitch sighed and nodded, lowering a few of the dozens of lenses that were set on arms on the glasses as he leaned in for an inspection. "Hmm…this is interesting…" Glitch mused to himself and Cain rolled his eyes realizing that he'd now be forced to stand this close to the head-case for god knew how long.

"Really? What's that?" He asked, doing his best to lean as far away as possible.

"On the back here, there are these really…"Glitch said as he brought down another lens. "_**Really**_ tiny characters…there's no way they were engraved…not this small…especially not with how many hundreds of annuals old this is. Hmmm…looks like some sort of incantation…where did you say you got this?" He asked as he looked up at Cain through a million magnified lenses.

Cain rolled his eyes and pleaded for patience. "I _didn't_ say. But I got it from a friend." He said and motioned for Glitch to keep looking at the pendant.

"Hmm_. Wonders never cease_…" Glitch said under his breath as he returned to the inspection. "_Our Tin Man finally has a friend_…"

"I can _**hear**_ you." Cain said in annoyance.

"I _**know**_ you can." Glitch said with a smile. "Now this symbol here on the front…it's the language of the Ancients, it means…"

"_Protector_, yeah – I already got that part." Cain sighed.

"I think I might…" Glitch said as he took off the glasses and looked around the massive expanse of the library. "I think I remember…"

Cain sat back and waited, already knowing what was coming.

For the next twenty minutes Glitch was walking around the library trying to jog his memory of something he'd seen…the frightening thing was that he might be recalling something he'd seen _**ten**_ _**annuals**_ earlier and it would still only take a small bit of work to bring the memory back. The Ambrose part of Glitch truly was an amazingly gifted mind, if a little hard to get a hold of sometimes.

"Got it!" Glitch called and came racing back up the stairs with an impossibly heavy looking volume in his arms, hauling it up onto the table and flipping through the delicate looking pages with care. His fingers traced over the picture language as his mouth moved along with his mental translations, only occasionally voicing them. "Weaponry….no…that's not it…. Love…no….Cures….no…. not what we're looking for…ah hah! Here, Protection….okay okay…"

Cain leaned in to take a look at the page, thankful when Glitch pointed out the symbol of the pendant amid the thousands of unfamiliar characters.

"It says here that this charm was created for the purpose of aiding the Protector. It was cast of morytanium and contains a spell that will bind the Protector…that would be you…to the Charge…your…_**friend**_…" Glitch smiled and swayed back and forth happily at those words.

Cain cast an un-amused look at the side of the Glitch's face.

"The spell can only be triggered if the following criteria are met…_ooh_ this is like a _**bestowal**_ of some sort to acknowledge honor and valor. Cain, you lucky dog you…_da da da da da_…." Glitch said distractedly as he skimmed the words. "It says…wait a minute…**huh**." Glitch stopped and looked over at the Tin Man suspiciously. "Cain…did _**DG**_ give you this?"

Cain arched a brow and bristled at the question. "Why?" He asked cautiously.

"It requires 'the power of the white light' to invoke the magic…and seeing how I don't think the Queen or _Azkadellia_ gave it to you, that kind of narrows the field a bit." Glitch said and crossed his arms over his chest, a smirk crossing his lips that _DG_ was this _friend_ Cain hadn't wanted to name.

Cain cleared his throat, averting his eyes and muttering a quick "_yeah it was her_" before motioning for the head-case to get on with it.

Glitch was hard-pressed to contain his glow as he returned to reading. "Alright, alright…so…" But the instant he translated the next in the list of requirements his hand froze on the page and eyes widened as, despite his wishes to appear impassive, he turned and looked at Cain in complete shock.

"_**What?**_ Is it bad?" Cain asked with concern straining his voice and stood up straight as if preparing to receive a mortal wound.

"Umm…_uuhhh_…" Glitch turned back to the book and closed his eyes, pleading his mind to hurry and come up with something. "No, it's not _bad_…"_It was actually really __**good**__._ "It's just saying that you…" Glitch frantically scanned for the next item on the list "have to be experienced in the hardships of battle…that you must be capable of providing the Protection promised…"

Cain eyed the head-case skeptically. "And _that_ made you look at me all bug-eyed?" He asked suspiciously.

Glitch laughed nervously and waived off Cain's concern. "It simply gave an actual figure of how many separate victories you needed to have earned…sorry, it threw me off to see a number of fights…" Glitch said, knowing Cain wouldn't argue that point.

_But that's most definitely __**not**__ what it had said. _

Glitch was beyond shocked here and knew Raw was picking up on what was really happening, he was thankful the Viewer decided not to speak up.

_So DG…_

_And Cain…_

"Alright, so we've obviously met the criteria if this thing is working. What else does it say?" Cain asked and Glitch cleared his throat, trying to put his surprise on the back-burner for now.

"It says that '_in the presence of impending danger the charm will begin to heighten the awareness of the Protector to Charge'_…so I guess you'll become more in tune to her location, her emotion…it's like a link in case you aren't close enough to see where she is…" Glitch explained and Cain thought back on it.

_So that was the surreal feeling…he'd been linked to DG's emotions…_

_So wait, __**that**__ was the world as DG saw it in that moment? She was really that __**happy**__ when they were together? _

_And that would mean the way he was seeing her…would be the way she was seeing…_

His eyes widened in surprise.

"_**Ouch**_, it says that if the initial link is not enough to aid the Protector in preventing the danger from coming to pass it will let off a '_warning'_…oh, that can't be pleasant…" Glitch said and turned to face Cain again. He smirked seeing the aggravation in the Tin Man's features at his words. "But I'm guessing you've already _experienced_ said warning, _haven't_ you?"

"And it feels like a god damned hot poker to the chest, so yeah, thanks for your concern." Cain said and rolled his eyes. "Alright, anything else in there I should be aware of?"

Glitch smiled and returned to the page, this time keeping his translations to himself.

_The bestowal of this charm between beloveds…_Glitch's heart flip flopped again for the two…_is an eternal binding; in addition to the aforementioned requirements this spell is only valid if charm has been presented to Protector with the same level of devotion as it is received. If Charge has truly claimed Protector; Protector has truly claimed Charge; the magic of the charm bears witness to these vows irrevocably._

Glitch laughed. "Yeah I'd get used to wearing that if I were you, when they say 'eternal' and 'irrevocably' in magic they generally _**mean**_ _**it**_."

Cain grunted in response as he looked down at the pendant.

"This is only a categorized book of items of magic with small descriptions of each…now that I know what I'm looking for I'll be able to research it more thoroughly." Glitch said as his eyes scanned the expanse of the library, already mapping out the location of books that would pertain to the pendant, the era in which it was created, etc.

Cain sighed. "Thanks, Glitch…and listen, I'd really appreciate if you didn't…"

"No worries, Cain. Not a word." Glitch said with a smile and held up his hands, looking over to where Raw was nodding his agreement to keep this quiet.

The pair watched him take his leave and the second the door was closed behind him on the level below they exchanged knowing smiles.

"Cain not know yet…he knows deep inside…here…" Raw said and pointed to his chest. "But not here…" He said as he pointed to his head.

"My _god_, who ever would have guessed it? The Tin Man really does have a heart after all." Glitch said with a smile.


	15. Good Morning Lover

Wyatt made his b-line for Glitch…

DG on the other hand, had very promptly turned to the young Cain and smirked. "Take me to see her." She said and his eyes widened.

"Umm….take you to see _who_, Princess?" He asked, unsure of the sudden mischief burning behind his charge's eyes.

"You know _exactly_ who I'm talking about, Jeb. Just cut the innocent act and lead the way." DG motioned for him to start walking, her expression and tone leaving no room for argument.

He couldn't help the bewilderment on his face. _Crap…he'd told his father about those rumors figuring he wouldn't repeat them…what if this meant she would be in trouble? Oh and it would be all his fault, too_…

Grudgingly he made his way to the stairs leading down to the service quarters, knowing that despite the fact that the suns had only just set the ladies would be passed out for the night. They tended to turn in on the early side on account of waking at the ass-crack of dawn every day, and he would know, he'd spent the past week maneuvering around the schedule of the maids…

Or more specifically, _**one**_ of the maids.

But all that would come to an end here in the next few minutes. The blow-out that was about to ensue would most certainly put a stop to the special…_turn-down service_…he'd been enjoying.

His stomach tied in knots when DG made him stop in the hallway, telling him to point out which room she was looking for and stay put. Jeb swallowed hard as she turned from him. _Oh this wasn't good…he was definitely going to lose his bed-buddy after all was said and done_.

DG left Jeb to fidget nervously at the end of the hall, laughing to herself about it as she made her way to the room Alisha shared with several of the other maids and grinned as she raised her fist, pounding on the door in a similar manner to Cain's rude wake up call.

She heard grumbling, mumbling, someone tripping toward the door and cursing as they stubbed their toe…

"Alright, alright! Hold your horses! Where's the damned fire?" Rhonda asked in frustration as she flung the door open with one eye open.

Her expression immediately changed as she found herself face to face with DG, that now familiar polite and reverent smile that everyone used with the royals quickly spread across her lips as her tone softened. "Oh…_forgive me_, Princess…I…I just…" She tried to get her still exhausted mind to function and DG held up a hand.

"Drop the whole _humbled servant_ routine, would you? I'm not in need of maids. I could, however, use some friends." She said quietly enough to prevent Jeb from making out her words and crossed her arms over her chest, smirking at the surprise on Rhonda's face.

After a moment she was grinning at DG. "Who am I to argue with the Princess?" Rhonda said as her tone returned to its normal pitch and she yawned. "So what can I do for you?"

"The little _mouthy_ one…" DG began and Rhonda choked back a laugh. "Is she in there?"

Rhonda leaned back and peeked over her shoulder into the dimly lit room behind her. "_Oh yeah_, she's in here." She said, scarcely able to contain her laughter when she focused on the sleeping blonde.

"Good…" DG said with a mischievous grin and entered the room with Rhonda, leaving Jeb to stare in blind panic as they closed the door behind them.

Lisa, Jen and Rose were all slowly becoming aware of the commotion, opening their eyes and one by one they exchanged shocked expressions seeing Rhonda leading DG into the room.

"Who's here?" Flo asked as she sat up in the bed, head full of rollers and wrapped in a cloth. She stretched and yawned, lifting the material of her sleep-mask from her eyes and freezing the instant she focused on the Princess.

"_Shh_…" DG said with a grin and pressed a finger to her lips, pointing toward the last bed in the row.

Flo burst out in silent laughter seeing who she was sneaking up on….as well as the way the unsuspecting blonde was laying on her bed.

Having passed out the instant she reached the mattress, Alisha was currently sprawled in hysterically _unflattering_ position. Ass up to the world and knees drawn up beneath her chest her face was buried against her pillow; her arms were draped limply at her sides as she snored.

DG was hard pressed not to laugh when the idea formed in her mind and as the other women all stood and walked to the end of the bed she motioned for them to stay silent.

As covertly as possible DG slid onto the mattress along side Alisha. Jaime and Veronica were instantly clinging to one another trying their best not to crack up and ruin the surprise. Once she was in position, a mischievous smile on her face, DG reached out and gave Alisha's shoulder a good shove.

As limp as her body had been she didn't stand a chance of stopping herself and with a grunt Alisha had rolled over onto her side on the bed…DG slid forward instantly closing the space between them.

"Hey…what gives?" Alisha whined groggily and opened her eyes, only to open them wider still focusing on the face of the Princess that was lying on the pillow directly in front of her, intertwining her fingers with hers and batting those baby blues at her.

"Good Morning_, lover_…" DG purred and Alisha quickly rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"_Umm_…" Alisha tried, her brows drawing in thorough confusion as she tried to recall whether she'd been drunk when she fell asleep. "Hey there." She managed finally, and looked up to see all of the other women staring down at her. She held up her hands. "Alright, I know this looks bad…but I can _honestly _say I have _no idea_ how the Princess wound up in my bed." She said, rolling her eyes that lines like this never worked.

"You don't remember, baby?" DG asked in a breathy tone and reached out to tuck a strand of Alisha's hair behind her ear, the women were dying now trying to remain quiet. "All that pillow talk and foreplay and you can't even recall any of it? You poor thing…"

Alisha's jaw dropped open as she continued racking her brain. _Alright, what the hell_…

Jen shook her head in mock disapproval. "Corrupting the _**Princess**_? For _**shame**_, Alisha." She said and tisk-tisked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Sanela sighed and shook her head. "_Great_. Now we'll have to start covering her shifts. She's _NEVER_ going to get any sleep between Jeb _and_ DG."

After another long moment of letting her suffer DG laughed and sat up on the bed, giving Alisha's arm a playful punch, answering the quizzical look that Alisha was giving her with: "And **that** was pay back for making Cain think I was gay."

The girls were all clapping and laughing instantly and Alisha ducked the pillows that were being tossed at her…but a grin spread over her face and she sat up quickly.

"So…I take it you're not here as the Princess, _**lover**_." Alisha teased and DG laughed as she shook her head. "_**Good**_, so what happened? Was he freaking out?"

Flo and Rhonda climbed up onto the end of the bed as the other ladies all settled in for the details.

"Yeah, actually." DG laughed. "He looked like he'd been driving himself nuts about it all week."

Alisha clapped and the other girls started groaning as she looked over at them. "Ladies – I don't suppose '_I told you so_' will suffice, so I'll just say this: _**Pay me**_." She grinned and several of the girls grudgingly retrieved money from their nightstands and placed it in her expectant palm. "Oh thank _you_…and thank _you_…oh and _you_…"

DG looked at her in confusion as she counted her winnings.

"Just a little wager over whether that rumor would get the wheels in motion…" She said as she tucked the money into her cleavage. "So that brings me to my next question, how about **you** – are you past the denial part or do we still have that to contend with?"

DG eyed this mouthy broad suspiciously, unsure if she should answer or run away at this point. "You mean…denial _over_…"

Alisha grinned. "Over whether or not you want your next '_riding lesson_' to have _anything_ to do with horses."

The Princess burst out laughing, thanking her lucky stars that the women were letting their guards down…some more than others it seemed. "Is it that obvious?" She asked.

Flo smiled as she leaned forward and took DG's hand. "Honey, you would have to be _blind_ or _gay_ not to have it on your mind when hanging around with that stud – since you're apparently neither of the two it's a safe assumption that you would want to…"

"_Schtupe_ the Tin Man." Alisha finished and DG snorted as she broke into another fit of laughter. "After spending eight years in a state of perpetual abstinence somebody ought to be curling that man's toes. It's only fair." She mused.

DG could barely breathe she was cracking up so severely, but as the words replayed in her brain shock hit her and she froze. "What did you just say?" She asked as she looked up at Alisha in surprise.

"Hmm? Oh, I said after being in that suit for so long…" She began but DG cut her off.

"_No_, _no_…that's _**not**_ what you said. You said 'spending eight _YEARS_' in it." Her eyes grew large and Alisha struggled to hide her amusement as DG pointed at her in realization. "You…_you're_…"

"Busted, apparently." She said with a laugh and leaned back against her pillows. "Freak storm about 5 years back hit the Northeast – you remember? It was the first documented cyclone to touch down there in about a century or so. Like everyone else I figured 'tornado advisory? _**Here?**_ Nah, it's not gonna happen'. Yeah, it turned out to be a _really_ bad night to be out partying in Philly."

DG stared at her in shock. "You're a slipper from the Other Side?"

"Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, USA…._**O.S.**_" She said with a grin at the added abbreviation to her previous address. "There's a bunch of us here. Flo over there is from Arizona…and Rhonda came from Arkansas…you've met DeMilo and had to realize on some level that you were dealing with a New Yorker. Not all of the slippers wind up royalty, honeybun. In fact, even your buddy Glitch is a slipper…though he's from somewhere else…frightening concept, if you ask me. Could be _dozens_ of realities linked to this one…"

"Oh, I don't know…the thought of an entire _world_ of Glitches is somewhat intriguing…" Rose mused and Jen hit her with a pillow.

"That's just cause you want to '_schtupe'_ the head-case." Jen said with a laugh and Rose nodded in agreement.

"The word '_nimble'_ does come to mind…" Rose said with a grin and DG couldn't help but smirk.

"Alright, so back to business. You've come to terms with the fact that you would very much like to be the one curling said Tin Man's toes, correct?" Alisha asked and waited for DG to laugh and nod. "Excellent. We've got our work cut out for us so we better get started. Michelle? Candice? Go wake the other girls up and tell them to get their asses in here – we've got planning to do…"


	16. The Women of the OZ Unite

If Jeb had been concerned before he was positively _terrified_ now.

His head had come up expectantly at the sound of the door opening, only it wasn't DG coming out…or even Alisha to kick his ass for getting her into trouble…

Michelle and Candice spotted him and gave each other amused smirks before racing down the hall and splitting up to rouse the other two rooms of maids.

Jeb's jaw nearly dislocated as a veritable _**mob**_ of woman turned the corner a moment later, all talking excitedly in low tones.

_What in the name of an estrogen-overloaded __**hell**__ was going on now?_

He stood up a little straighter as Erin narrowed her eyes on him and approached, the other women ignoring him as they began filtering into the room behind her.

"Ms. Erin." Jeb said nervously and inclined his head in greeting.

"Young Mr. Cain…" Erin said as she clasped her hands in front of her and tilted her head back at him disapprovingly. "So nice to see you **upright **for a change." She said with an arched brow and he cleared his throat, averting his eyes from hers at all costs.

See a few days prior Erin happened to have the extraordinarily traumatic bad luck of catching Jeb receiving one of those…_turn-down services_…and she'd been tormenting him about it _mercilessly_ ever since. Truth be told she wasn't really all that upset by it, but watching him squirm under her gaze these days was nothing if not exquisitely entertaining.

"_Sinner_…" Erin said under her breath as she turned away and Jeb winced.

She entered the room and closed the door behind her, shaking her head at the scene that awaited her. There were nearly thirty of the women all crammed into the bedchamber, the floor and every bed covered with them and the Princess herself seated at the back beside Alisha.

"So we're to be planning a hostile takeover of the Tin Man's free will this evening, I gather." She said over the chattering and Alisha smirked, motioning for her to step around the huddled masses and join them.

Rhonda moved up behind Alisha as she scooted closer to DG and Flo and patted the bed beside her. "Maybe not _hostile_…I mean don't get me wrong she's free to be as **aggressive** and **kinky** in the sack with him as her little heart desires once she gets in those pants but for now…" Alisha grinned as Erin rolled her eyes in that beloved mock disapproval that she had been fishing for.

"Alright, so what do we have?" Chelsea asked as she dug a notebook out of the dresser behind her and began taking notes.

Sarah clapped and laughed at their little organization. "Oh this is wonderful; it's like the first meeting of the 'Schtupe the Tin Man Association'!"

Jen snorted a laugh and spoke in a voice-over style tone. "The women of the OZ unite for…Operation: Tag the Tin Man."

Alisha grinned. "_No, no_…I **got** it… the OZ version of the SPCA….we're the '_Society for the Prevention of Cain's Abstinence_'."

Rose was gasping for air and clutching her stomach. "_The Society for the Procurement of Cain's Ass!_"

It took a few moments for the laughter to stop after that one.

"As entertaining as this is," Erin cut in and Alisha smiled over at her, their very own 'balancing force of maturity' coming to the rescue. "We need to focus on the facts. DG, firstly it's wonderful to see you down here, darling. I trust the girls aren't scaring you too badly."

DG shook her head and grinned. "Not at all, I forgot what it was like to smile inside the palace."

Alisha arched a brow and smirked. "Nice to hear we're making progress on those walks after all, little miss 'smiling _**outside**_ the palace'."

DG winced that she'd just given up that bit of information…she was taking a big risk trusting these girls…

_If rumors started that they had done anything improper out there then_ _Wyatt could get into trouble_…_**serious**__ trouble_…

The thought very effectively wiped the smile right off of her face.

"_Soooo_…judging by your reaction I'd say we're going to leave that subject alone for now." Lisa said with a reassuring smile and cast Alisha a meaningful look. From her position beside the Princess Alisha hadn't been able to see the emotion that had just passed over DG's features and winked at Lisa in appreciation for the heads up.

Alisha smiled and gave DG's hand a squeeze of understanding. "We'll just leave it as Wyatt isn't quite so _Wyatt_ while you two are out there and move along."

DG breathed a sigh of relief and smiled over at her new blonde friend.

With an arched brow Alisha looked out at the group of girls, making sure to meet each of their eyes as she spoke. "As if I need to say this, what goes on in this room stays here. Anybody opens their mouth to anybody _NOT_ present right now is going to have the wrath of the rest of us to deal with. Understood?" Everyone nodded in agreement and Alisha sighed. "Good, because I can guarantee if all of us get pissed off the one who ran their mouth would be out there _**daily**_ praying for a travel storm to come along so they could get away from us."

The group all muttered that if somebody did rat they'd be lucky if they got away to wish for anything.

"So we start with the basic plans of attack. Firstly, DG baby…" Flo sighed as she rolled her eyes and smirked. "I know you love those jeans and that leather jacket of yours but we've _got_ to primp you up and make that man's head spin on a more regular basis. For your walks I can see rocking the jeans and boots, but during the week let's start changing things up a bit." Flo said and DG thought about it for a moment.

"I don't want to wear a big frou-frou dress, they make me wear them when the suitors are here and that's bad enough." She finally whimpered and Flo laughed.

"Oh sugar, there are _plenty_ of other things we can come up with. Your mother doesn't always wear those ostentatious gowns, either. There are more form fitting and relaxed dresses, which I think will be a major eye-catcher for our Tin Man. Something feminine but still down to earth."

DG grinned at the idea, she wasn't one for dresses, but the thought of Cain's reaction to her wearing one made it worth a try.

"And makeup, you've got those big blue eyes and dark lashes…there are a million ways to make those things _demand_ attention. Stick with me and Jaime and we'll have him swooning every time you look him in the eye." Bee said and DG nodded her agreement.

"Also, your birthday celebration is coming up next week." Janet said and all the ladies muttered that it was a good point. "They're planning on throwing a gala event since it is your first birthday at home after so long and have decided to make it a masquerade ball."

Flo was clapping and bouncing up and down on the bed now and Alisha grinned, leaning closer to the Princess and shielding her mouth as if she was telling a secret. "DG, you are in luck, sweets. Flo over there _**lives**_ for this stuff."

"Oh my God…_Oh my God_…" Flo said, fanning herself to try and keep calm at the prospect of designing the costume. "Leanne, honey…you and I are on this one, girl."

Leanne laughed. "Got it, it won't be the first time I have to sketch one of the creations of your mind. I'll just make sure I bring a ton of paper this time to keep up with your descriptions."

The hours passed by with Jeb still out in the hall on guard. It wasn't a major change from what he would have been doing anyway, but the marked difference was he had no idea what could _possibly_ be going on in that room.

At first he'd been relieved when the time elapsed made it apparent that DG wasn't reprimanding Alisha for her words….but now his stomach was tensed with a sense of impending doom. He got the strangest feeling that evil was afoot beyond the door and the occasional outbursts of laughter told him mischief was being plotted. The thought of the combined deviousness of all of these women was enough to give him cold sweats.


	17. Seemingly Innocent Enough

Cain brooded from his position at the edge of the gardens, arching a brow at the occasional outbursts of laughter that were erupting from the Princess and the out-and-out _horde_ of females surrounding her. _Perhaps she had only been humoring him when she'd said she wasn't gay…_Wyatt bristled at the idea. If that was the case then there was a **serious** epidemic of lesbianism going on in the palace. He'd be damned if she hadn't attracted every woman from the staff in the past week like some sort of little motor-mouthed magnet. His suspicious blue eyes and worry-lined forehead were hiding beneath the brim of his hat; the scowl set on his face, however, was not so easily concealed.

"Would you look at that sourpuss!" came the unwelcomed chipper tone of the zipper-head as he approached. Wyatt considered turning on his heel and sprinting to another location, preferably one at the far side of the garden, in hopes of an escape…but he already knew there would be no use.

"Head-case," Wyatt began in a dry greeting, "what brings you out here to ruin what _was_ a pleasant morning?" he asked with his lips pursed together tightly, never once taking his eyes from the gossiping gaggle of girls.

Glitch, as always, chose to ignore Cain's sarcasm. "Good morning to you, too, Tin Man. I had to get out of that palace for some air – have you _been_ in there recently? My word, I'd forgotten how crazed the staff gets about setting up these sorts of things. They say _I've_ got a few screws loose? There is a woman in there in tears – actual _tears_ – just because the color of the napkins is 'a half a shade lighter' than the table cloths."

A disinterested 'humph' was all Wyatt could contribute. His eyes were still narrowed in on DG. Something was…_different_…about his Tom-boyish, tree-climbing, dirty-kneed Princess lately. She seemed to have mysteriously transformed into a refined young (_insert gulp of dread here)_ **LADY**. Another of those throaty, feminine laughs escaped her, echoing across the lawn to his ears and sending his brows skyward in surprise.

Glitch studied Wyatt's expression in confusion for a few seconds trying to figure out what had him so distracted. Finally he followed the line of those blue eyes' gaze and found DG, and instantly forgot why he had looked at her in the first place. "Oh doesn't she look lovely today!" Glitch exclaimed happily as a grin spread across his face.

And _yes_, she most certainly _did_. Cain gave a reluctant grunt of agreement, for today, as with every day in the past week, DG looked absolutely…_beautiful_. Not cute. Not adorable. Not any descriptive term he could dig up from the vaults of his seldom-tapped vocabulary that could be placed under the safe heading of 'childish'. It was unsettling. Just when he'd thought the image of her in soaking wet shorts and a tank-top had left him she had switched gears. He'd nearly shot himself in the toe the first morning she opened her bedroom door wearing a dress that she wasn't swimming in for a suitor, and it hadn't been a fluke, either. _All week long_ she'd sported soft, feminine dresses that he refused to admit he'd found excuses to touch, even offering her a hand as she took a seat on several occasions for just a second of contact with the fabric. We're talking thin, velveteen material hugging every curve she possessed like some dangerous road leading him straight to eternal damnation.

He'd tried to mask his suspicion when informed (by a reluctant guard) that these dresses were brought by none other than the mouthy, Jeb-corrupting blonde. Said blonde had done a marvelous job of avoiding him over the course of the past week, but she couldn't hide forever. Try as she might to evade him there would most definitely be a little talk between them the first time he caught her away from the flock.

He thought he'd catch a break on the weekend; that once DG ditched these confusing new trends in attire for her simple jeans and shirts he'd be off the hook – but then he'd been horrified to discover her already thick lashes were coated in _mascara_ and surrounded by expertly applied _black liner. _Seemingly innocent enough, right?

_WRONG_. These simple changes made the gems this girl passed off as eyes ten times more jarring. It made her first shooting lesson difficult to endure - the sapphire gaze was so striking he couldn't tell if he wanted to avoid eye contact or seek it out. Unfortunately for him she had a habit of staring him straight in the eyes as he spoke, curiosity burning brightly in the crystal waters and somehow sapping his ability to concentrate. He didn't know if it was his imagination or the fact that he'd been spending so much time with her but her face seemed to be maturing. He'd be damned if by some cruel twist of fate she wasn't actually starting to _look_ older.

And then there was the perfume.

Oh yes. _Perfume_ of some demonic concoction sent to prey on his senses – subtle and intoxicating, so cruelly alluring that he caught himself inhaling deeply when instructing her on the proper way to steady the gun before firing. He'd tried to explain how to best brace her small wrists for the kickback while keeping his distance from the scent – but words hadn't conveyed it properly. There'd been no choice but to stand behind her, arms over hers as he guided her to lock the shoulder of her firing arm in place and keep her supporting hand at the base of the gun – never atop it. All the while he'd been trying to ignore the desire to dip in just a little closer to the pleasing aroma at the nape of her neck. He'd caught himself brushing a strand of hair from her face as he spoke quietly into her ear, an act so strangely intimate that it startled him. Quickly he'd stepped away from her, clearing his throat and telling her to go ahead and fire away…but he wasn't getting away that easy. In celebration of each accurate shot she'd seized him for one of her inescapable (and dreadfully welcomed) hugs and had prolonged his exposure to the new fragrance. For such a faint scent to cling to his clothing and linger on his skin even when he'd reached his room and undressed for bed hours later it must have been created by dark forces. He'd stood in his room; bare-chested and aghast after tossing the shirt into the hamper, sniffing each of his biceps and groaning when the scent of DG had wafted up to greet him. The cold bath he'd taken to remove the fragrance had, of course, been to save the time it would take for the water to heat…because he was just _**so**_ exhausted. There was no other reason for it, and if you held a gun to his temple he'd swear it to be truth.

Wyatt shook his head to snap himself from these thoughts and cleared his throat. "Have you noticed something…strange…about the Princess lately?" He tried, hoping to get a second opinion without rousing any unwanted questions from Glitch, but this was a tricky proposition. Most times he could tiptoe around the Ambrose side of his friend but once that egghead had its synopses firing in the right order it was like being on the wrong side of an interrogation table. He'd come to think of Ambrose as a separate and unknown entity living within his friend, something that came and went, sometimes taking over completely, sometimes joining Glitch in what was going on around them and at other times simply amusing himself in a quiet recess of Glitch's consciousness. Thankfully Ambrose was in one of said recesses at that moment, likely inventing a contraption that could follow Wyatt around the palace, tripping him on stairs even when he was in the presumed safety outside the landmine of the lab.

"Hmm?" Glitch asked, tearing his gaze from the smiling, sunbathed vision of DG and turning back to Cain. "Oh – _yes._" He said, his features suddenly tightening thoughtfully. "Actually now that you mention it she _has_ been acting rather uncharacteristically Princess-like these past few days." The words had no sooner left his lips then his hand was clamped over his mouth. He looked around them worriedly, something (_Ambrose_) inside of him had apparently insisted that it was improper to say such things.

"_Easy_, head-case. Nobody else is around; all the nosey maids seem to be flocking to DG at the moment." Wyatt assured and watched Glitch visibly relax at the assurance. "So what do you think she's up to?" He asked.

"_Up to?_" Glitch asked in surprise. "Why must she be always be '_up to_' something?" He said with a laugh.

Wyatt arched a brow, choosing not to point out the fact that being up to no good was simply a part of who DG was and instead waiting to hear the head-case's take on the situation.

"Maybe she is just excited about this party tonight. It's not every day you are the cause for a royal masquerade ball, after all… It's not every day you are the cause for a royal masquerade ball, after all…" Wyatt clapped Glitch on the back, as if to give his brain a jumpstart and Glitch gave a quick, slightly embarrassed smile of appreciation before continuing. "They had me teach her some traditional dance steps a few days ago, you know – and might I say she's a _marvelous_ student – so I'm sure it didn't stop there. She's likely had maids fawning over her all week trying on dresses and whatnot, teaching her proper etiquette and such. That sort of thing is bound to make a girl feel…girly." His face contorted thoughtfully yet again as he ran the sentence through his mind, tracing the words with his fingers in the air before him and looking skyward, tongue in cheek, as he tried to decide whether he'd conveyed his point properly.

Wyatt sighed and nodded. Glitch did have a point there; the whole palace was in frenzy over this stupid ball. If it wasn't for the security risks such an event posed he would have gladly opted out. But leaving DG alone to her own devices? In a crowded palace? Filled with thousands of strangers? Any of which might be there with ill-intent? No. He'd have to put on his game face and fight his way through a night of frill and arrogance for the sake of his DG – CHARGE. His _charge_.

_The thought of someone getting past the checkpoints without being properly screened by a viewer_…his pulse quickened and he absently fingered the charm where it rested against his chest, well concealed beneath his shirt. _Which reminded him…_

"Read anything interesting about…" He waited for Glitch to turn to him and gave him a meaningful look, his hand still clutching the impossibly heavy bit of mystery-metal.

"As a matter of fact, yes…but nothing that will blow _you_ away…just some bits of history and further abilities of the charm. It was crafted by the very first white witch of the OZ for her…Protector…" _More specifically, her lover…but Glitch wasn't saying that_. "And with its magic he was able to keep Nura, the white witch, and her children…" _**their**__ children _"safe from harm until his dying day. It is said to perceive all manner of danger, not strictly physical. Othniel, her Protector, was able to sense when people were conspiring against Nura and the children for political gain, attempting to take advantage of them in any aspect and even when someone was _lying_ to them– no matter how insignificant the lie." Glitch rattled this off without pausing for air or misfiring once, his eyes wide and excited like a child who'd just found a new toy but glimmering with that trademark intelligence that signified complete Ambrose lucidity.

"Lies, huh?" Wyatt asked, and despite himself his voice gave away his intrigue. "Ought to come in handy...the kid is bound to have a whole host of enemies beyond just those stupid enough to raise a finger to harm her."

That's right. You heard it. He said '_the kid'_. It was high time he started resorting to drastic measures here. If he didn't keep that whole twenty annual age gap in mind _Gale_ only knew what other thoughts might spring up in there.

"So have you decided what you're wearing tonight?" Glitch asked hopefully in an attempt to change the subject, but frowned at Wyatt's disinterested shrug. "Well you have at least realized that you will be dancing with the birthday girl at some point, right?" His jaw dropped at the '_that's not gonna happen_' look that came in response. "Wyatt Cain!" He barked in a whisper. "You are the guardian of the Princess of the OZ and you will most definitely be asking her to dance at least once…." he insisted but Cain only glared at him. "At _least_ for the sake of appearances! What if people start to think she's being escorted around by some unrefined _brute_ that hides from public scrutiny all the time and takes no heed to the decorum of such an affair? This is one occasion where keeping your distance will be perceived as a bad thing. It's all politics, these events. If you stick to the perimeter of the room all night the talking will start, you know. The whispering. '_Why does he not want others to see them interact in public? What does he have to hide? How often does the Queen allow this man to guard over her daughter without supervision, anyway?_'"

Wyatt's brow arched at this revolting twist in perception. _But…but…_

But Glitch was just gearing up. "Oh, I can see it now; it will be the sensation of the OZ! Front page gossip in the Central City Times by morning!" Glitch held up his hand as if holding each word of the headline: "'_Custodian or Corruptor? You decide. An in-depth look into the shadow that pursues our Princess of Light.'_ Reporters will be digging around for anyone with something bad to say about you, and after the criminal arms twisted over the course of your time with the Tin Men I'd say they'll be in no shortage of slander." He could see the worry lines creasing atop Wyatt's brow no matter how low that hat was resting and sighed (partly in relief that it had been so easy, he'd thought for sure he'd have far more work ahead of him before the Tin Man would cave). "Just one dance, Cain. What harm can come of it?"

_What harm indeed,_ he thought to himself glumly.

DG sat across the garden and watched Wyatt out of the corner of her eye as the girls all joked about how uneasy their presence was making him and discussed their own costumes for the evening. She'd convinced the Queen…her Mother…_her Mother, her Mother, her Mother_…God she had to get used to that before she flubbed in front of some diplomat and caused the woman unintended insult. Anyway, she'd convinced her _**Mother**_ that these maids should be excluded from decorating since they were helping her prepare for the evening, which was, after all, the truth. Flo had finished relaying her vision of the costume design a few days earlier and with the help of Leanne's artistic abilities they had the layout on paper to work from – after that it was an all-hands effort to pull it together in time. The finished product was something beyond her wildest dreams, something straight out of a fairytale. She'd been incapable of holding back her tears as she hugged the girls and said her thanks.

Despite herself (and her general hatred of such a royal fuss) DG was actually excited for the evening – more specifically seeing Wyatt's reaction to how she would look; her stomach was so busy with butterflies that it was hard to sit still enough for Bee to paint her nails. She _refused_ to consider the thousands of strangers that she'd be forced to speak with, the fact that she'd be the center of an unbelievable amount of attention – all that mattered was showing Wyatt tonight that despite being a free spirit she was by no means a child.

She had noticed a marked difference in the steely blue eyes of her Tin Man since the forming of the SPCA. Immediately a grin spread across her lips at the memory of their nickname. The first time she'd exited her room in a dress he looked ready to apologize and move on thinking he'd knocked at the wrong door. It had been difficult to contain her pleasure seeing him do that very first wondrous double-take (as there had been so many since then), the way his face had flushed and eyes had scanned the length of '_the new dress_'…certainly not the way it was flowing over her hips. The girls had been dead-on in their choice of 'feminine but down-to-earth'. There was something so genuinely sweet in the way he drank in each new thing, the way he casually touched the sleeve of her dresses, the way he so discretely enjoyed the scent of her perfume, the way he studied the makeup surrounding her eyes as they spoke, the way he'd picked some unseen leaf from her curled locks of hair the first time Rhonda had styled it for her.

She'd wanted to catch his attention and by all means she had. On their last outing he'd stood so closely as he taught her to use a gun; the memory of his rough hands guiding her arms into position, the way he's nudged the inside of her boot with his own telling her to widen her stance, the recollection of him speaking in such low tones behind her ear still gave her goose-bumps. Wyatt wasn't the only one who'd been greeted with a welcoming scent on their clothes when changing for bed that night. The marked difference was she had savored the surprise, taking her Wyatt aftershave scented shirt to bed with her and huffing it like a drug. Their riding lesson had been all but ignored, for one excuse or another they would dismount and walk beside one another, talking quietly and enjoying one another's company. He'd tried to press for information into her sudden friendship with the women of the staff but gave up after several dismissive responses from her.

Movement heading in their direction caught her eye and she looked up to see Glitch passing on his way back to the palace. "Good morning, Princess." He said casually, but the way his eyes widened before he gave her a discrete wink told her he'd done his part. During their private dance lesson several days prior the subject of who she would and would not be dancing with had been broached…which had led to the revelation that Glitch was far more perceptive than one would have thought (but then again she had no clue he'd been given insider information).

She'd stared at him in wide-eyed shock, one hand still on his shoulder and the other cradled in his outstretched palm as she halted the dance steps in response to his casual, "and I'm sure you will be eager to dance with a certain blue eyed friend of ours…" Her mouth could only hang open uselessly in response.

Glitch had laughed and told her it was alright, that no one was within hearing range of them and that he had no intention of breathing a word of it to another. Well, aside from Raw, he explained, because no one could keep a secret from old fuzzy-lips. DG had nearly wept as she hugged him, recalling all over again why she cared so deeply for him. He had explained that dancing with advisors and other of the most trusted members of the royal staff was expected at these events – and that Wyatt should be no exception to the rule. It was his own idea to play the "gossip" card in convincing the stubborn Tin Man to relent in his standoffishness, knowing the great lengths Wyatt had taken to prevent any rumors spreading about his time spent with DG.

And judging by the grin on his face as he bowed his head slightly and entered the palace DG gathered that it had worked like a charm.

Rose let out a choppy sigh watching Glitch retreat and DG smiled knowingly. She'd most definitely be arranging a dance between the two later in the evening, enough was enough – they'd been staring at one another from a distance for months now like two lovesick teenagers. Besides, it was the least she could do since both of them were helping her get closer to Wyatt.

"Well, darling…it's time to go get started on that hair." Chelsea said and grinned seeing DG spin to face her, the slightest hint of nervousness evident in her features.

The Princess took a deep breath and cast Wyatt one last look. It was finally time.

**

* * *

**

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

So this took forever and a freaking _day_ to get rolling – but hold off on pelting me with rotten vegetables if you will. Life's been crazy busy and after a series of screwed up events both online and at work (negative feedback, plagiarism of my stories, dead rats being left on my counter by psychos) my Muse took an unexcused leave of absence. She's finally back to floating around my head after her hiatus so let's PRAY it's for good.

Want to help speed this story along? If you read it - FEED it!

It's like when Tinkerbell was dying and everyone who believed in fairies had to clap to save her - if you want to help with updates you need to review. Nothing gets my inspirations going like seeing that people are truly enjoying what they're reading.

Kisses to all my girls - I've missed you terribly and I'm thrilled to be back in the saddle again ;)


	18. A Bad Case of Heartburn

The palace was transformed into a scene straight out of a theatre production. Any direction you turned was filled with thousands of masked faces, feathered costumes and gowns, laughter and entertainers. Music was filtering through the halls as performers juggled and danced for the applause of small gatherings amid the crowd.

Every member of the royal guard was dressed in the same style of uniform costume, golden jackets and slacks, stern looking golden masks blocking their faces from view completely; revealing only the eyes beneath which were surrounded by thick black paint. If one had described it to him without seeing it he would have thought the finished product would look foolish – in actuality it was anything but. The men looked like sentinels standing every few feet along the edge of the halls, statues until any hint of trouble, muscles tensed and ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

Wyatt had grudgingly allowed Glitch to help him with finding a mask. He refused the attempts made to get him to wear a gaudy costume, instead electing simple black clothing – the mask was as 'in costume' as he intended to be. Even then he had chosen one that was merely held to his face if he chose to use it. He'd be damned if he was strapping one of the ridiculous things to his head. It wasn't Glitch's first choice but the absence of a single feather or sequin paired with the large eye holes made it Wyatt's match – he had no intention of obstructing his view in case there was trouble that evening. The horns and devilish appearance of the piece were simple enough to meet the requirements.

DG had been whisked away a few hours earlier, much to his chagrin, to be made up for the evening in areas of the palace he dared not follow to keep a watchful eye for danger. Dressing areas were one place you had to content yourself with surrounding in guards (so thick they had to stand shoulder to shoulder) and trusting that the interior of the room would remain safe after the initial sweeps.

Wyatt took a drink from a passing tray, downing it and handing the empty glass back to the thoroughly impressed waiter before turning to survey the crowd. He sighed in boredom thinking how much more entertaining it would be to clean his gun at that moment. It was at his hip (you didn't _really_ think he'd forego a firearm, did you?) and he ran his hand over it beneath his overcoat, checking that it was clear in its holster out of habit. The room suddenly grew quiet, so quiet you could have heard a pin drop, and he followed the gaze of every other person to the central stairwell.

He couldn't recall a single time in his life where he'd been rendered so completely dumbstruck.

_Awestricken_, I mean we're talking the whole shebang here; he'd nearly dropped his mask as his hand fell to his side, his eyes were unblinking, face was flushing, palms were sweating, heart was pounding in his chest. There was even a tightening in the pit of his stomach that was so severe it was almost _painful_. He was certain that the look on his face could easily be mistaken for agony – which was good since he couldn't get himself to change the expression or move a muscle. If caught he could always lie and say he had a bad case of heartburn or something…

But thankfully having to come up with an excuse would be unlikely, not a single eye was on him in that moment.

She descended the stairs like a winged creature found only in the deepest forests of the most ancient realms, a being made of love and light fluttering amid the flowers and singing enchantment to the trees.

Her gown outstretched behind her, its many tissue-thin layers flowing over the stairs like water. The amount of detail that had gone into the creation of this dress and its wings was only rivaled in perfection by the sight of the woman (yes, _woman_) who wore it. Her porcelain skin glittered in the light as if covered in pixie dust, interrupted only by the long, dark locks of hair that cascaded over her shoulders. He found himself thankful that she was not wearing a mask; the thought of anything obstructing her glowing face was contemptible.

She looked…

She was just _so _incredibly…

It was only with great effort that he managed to swallow hard and take a deep breath. Something inside of him warned that amid the thousands of other faces she was going to see him, he needed to move, blink, _something_…but he couldn't. Sure enough, somehow, someway, blue eyes met blue eyes and his head swam. DG smiled shyly at him, that tightlipped secret smile before turning her attention to the crowd that was staring up at her with so much adoration, the change in expression only served to make her even _more_ alluring, if that was at all possible.

She reached the base of the stairs and stood beside her mother and father, blushing at the Queen's introduction of her to the people of the OZ and thunderous applause that followed. His breath caught in his throat as she smiled out at the crowd and waived.

He was silently thankful that they weren't forcing her to make a speech, he would have been terribly nervous for her and besides, who wants to get stuck doing something so nerve-wracking on their birthday?

He stood enthralled by her presence, the rest of the room a blur to his perception. He could hear the Queen speaking but paid no mind to her words. _Where had his tagalong friend from the Eclipse disappeared to, _he wondered? No more were the clumsy movements and self-conscious tugging at her clothing. No more were the goofy grins and unsure movements.

The music began and the Queen and Ahamo each kissed DG's cheeks, wishing her a happy birthday and telling her to go enjoy herself.

DG very promptly made her exit into the crowd…and a b-line for Wyatt.

His mouth was suddenly dry as he watched her cutting around well-wishers making her way toward him. What the hell was he going to say? What do you say to…_this_?

He was relieved when she took away the initial pressure by motioning for him to lean down closer the instant she was before him, standing on tiptoes so he could hear her over the crowd as she shared privately, "I can't _believe_ I didn't trip!"

Wyatt laughed; initially ready to hold it back until he realized the sound was blended away into a crowd of thousands of smiling, laughing faces on what was supposed to be a joyous occasion. "You did great, darling…" _Darling- wait, __**what**__?_ "And I have to say..." his pulse quickened – _Oh Lord, did he __**have**__ to say? _"That you look absolutely radiant. With the secret out about your beauty I'll need to have a second gun handy to keep the swarm of suitors at bay."

DG smiled up at him, her eyes searching his and loving the heat she found in them as she thought; _there are other ways you could stop the suitors from hounding me…_

"You know, Princess…" He began, looking down at the mask in his hands, his brows drawn together as he realized he had no clue what he was about to say.

"Yes, Wyatt?" DG asked hopefully, but before she could hear the end of his sentence a pompous windbag had stepped up beside her. She willed the wings on her back to spring to life in that second and swat him in the head before Wyatt noticed his presence, but no such luck. Wyatt's head came up with a look of something akin to stifled rage straining his features.

"My Princess, if beauty were time you would be _eternity_…" The cretin said in what she presumed he thought was a charming voice as he bent to kiss her hand. She glared down at the top of his head and bit her bottom lip to keep her honest reaction from bubbling from her lips, so busy restraining herself that she didn't notice Wyatt's furious arched brow. As the imbecilic ambassador stood upright once more both DG and Wyatt allowed their expressions to return to feigned _non_-hatred. "Would you do me the great honor of dancing with me?" He asked and DG could have _sworn_ she heard Wyatt's teeth grinding together.

This wasn't happening. She'd come this far, spent the entire week, morning and afternoon preparing for this moment with her Tin Man and she'd be _damned_ if Duke _Dimwit_ of _Tart_-land was going to spoil it for her.

She put on her best smile of feigned flattery and managed, "I would be delighted to…if not for Mr. Cain already asking just a moment before you arrived…but the night is young, I'm sure there will be time enough later."

Wyatt chewed the inside of his cheek watching the prissy boy's face contort painful at the blow of such rejection. "Oh…very well then…it was a pleasure to speak with you, your highness." He said, his eyes darting to Wyatt enviously before bowing and taking his leave.

Once out of earshot Wyatt couldn't help the smile that came to his lips. "I wonder how many times I'll have asked '_just a moment before they arrived_' this evening."

DG grinned up at him and put her hand on his shoulder, the contact sending electricity through her entire body. "You just stay close, I get the feeling you will be 'Protecting' me from all manner of twits and trolls before the night is through."

She was warm and fuzzy all over as he took her other hand in his, placing his free hand on her waist as he led them in a formal dance. It wasn't the necking she was dying for, but the small distance between them allowed for a wondrous addition to the scent of him and the feeling of his shoulder beneath her fingertips. He was staring down into her eyes, a million thoughts swirling in his gaze and a smile curving the corners of his mouth. Her eyes darted to his lips, thoughts of her own forming with blaring intensity…but the arched brow and smirk Wyatt gave before looking away and clearing his throat purposefully made her laugh as her cheeks heated in embarrassment. _Can you say _'_**busted**__'_?

Wyatt, however, was currently convincing himself that it was the drinks he'd had playing tricks on him because there was _no way_ he'd just seen what he thought he saw. Secret friends, right? They were Protector and Charge, sharing a common bond of solitude and a deep caring for one another…but not _that_ kind of caring...

_Right_??

He tried to ignore the stirring in his gut that told him he was having a case of self-denial. At the most he was having a hard time adjusting to this new, more mature and devastatingly attractive version of his friend. It wasn't so strange – hell it had been forever since he'd been with a woman so things were bound to get confusing. He'd just have to work through it somehow; self control was practically his middle name. And besides – before long she'd be wed to one of the dozens of noblemen seeking her hand, probably one in the room with them at that very moment. His stomach tensed as his mind continued this train of thought. She'd probably move away to another kingdom and settle into the role of royalty, her and her future children would be in no shortage of guards so it was only to be expected that he would no longer need to watch over her…

Without realizing it he was holding her hand a little tighter, the hand on her waist was instinctively pulling her a step closer in response to the thought of her leaving.

Of all things to comfort his worries in that moment the memory of Glitch's words came to him: "_when they say 'eternal' and 'irrevocably' in magic they generally __**mean**__ it." _

_So perhaps their paths wouldn't be dividing so soon after all_…he thought hopefully.

DG danced in silence watching Wyatt's mind race behind his averted eyes, wondering at the way his hand had closed over hers so protectively but not speaking a word about it. In her mind she prayed that it was OZ custom to dance through (at the _very_ least) _**five**_ songs before splitting up, every time the music of the current melody slowed she felt a surge of panic wash over her that it was ending so soon. With a little luck it happened to be an extraordinarily long tune. She'd thought to come up with some witty conversation, but the instant those steely blues wandered back down to her face she threw all thoughts of words right out the window. Slowly her hand was working its way to the back of his neck of its own accord and as her fingers brushed over the leather throng of the pendant she melted under his warm smile.

It wasn't the plan…but she wanted release _**now**_. The real idea was to get those wheels inside his head in motion; the actual cozying up to her Tin Man wasn't to start until they were somewhere private - likely not until their next walk. That was easier said than done when staring up into his smiling face. _Maybe they could dance just a little closer_…she pleaded in her mind. The way those blue eyes were staring into her own so deeply made the desire to draw him to her and kiss him positively maddening. Maybe she could get away with resting her head on his shoulder…or kissing his cheek at the end of the dance…something…_anything_…

Wyatt forced himself to look away from her eyes again, chewing the inside of his cheek in that thoughtful habit and damning what he kept seeing in the subtle changes in her posture, the movements of her lips, the longing in those blue eyes.

_Well shit_. Alright, him having it on his mind in the background (_**very**_ far back, mind you) was troubling enough…her thinking it too? And looking so damned _attractive_ while doing so? It was a like a grenade without its pin had just been pressed between their palms, their joint restraint being the only thing preventing that lever from rising – all it would take is one of them relaxing their grip just a _tiny_ bit…

The song had run its course, and as Ahamo stepped forward, asking DG for the next dance Wyatt wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed.

The night raced on with DG being swept away for dance after dance, Wyatt standing amid the crowd watching her in his trademark stoicism, not missing a single glance (and believe me, there were _thousands_ of them) that she cast him over whoever's shoulder she was currently paired with.

Before long Glitch had taken the lead and he had to laugh, despite his wish to continue brooding, watching the two twirl around the floor together. Aside from her dance with him he hadn't seen DG look so comfortable and genuinely happy all night. Her laughter rang out through the crowd like contagious joy and he sighed with a smile set on his face watching her go.

"Would you care for a refill?" A voice asked quietly and he looked to his side to find a feline porcelain mask covering the face of someone with a head covered in blonde curls. Someone that was _purposefully_ avoiding eye contact. He shook his head and smirked that she couldn't _really_ think he wouldn't recognize her.

"Finally let my son up for air, did you?" He asked and the lips beneath the mask twitched in a knowing smile.

"No wine, then? Alright…" She said in feigned ignorance of what he was talking about and tried to make her exit.

Wyatt discretely caught her arm and she cursed under her breath. _Damn having to work the floor!_ _And damn his notice of every frigging detail! There had to be __**thirty**__ blondes on staff – how the __**hell**__ did he know it was her so quickly?_

"No – but I will take a few answers." Wyatt said in a private tone and she turned back to face him, pausing and inclining her head to where DG was still dancing with Glitch.

"My, doesn't the Princess look exquisite tonight?" Alisha said with a grin before looking him in the eyes. "Alright, shoot." She said in a lower tone before sighing and shaking her head.

"For starters, I know you're up to something. Thing is I can't figure what _possible_ motivations you could have for this whole Princess makeover thing you've got going on. So tell me, what would _you_ stand to gain from DG looking so…_'exquisite'_?" Wyatt asked and arched a brow at the mischievous smile that instantly formed on her lips.

He knew that smile. He _hated_ that smile. It was the '_I know something you don't know_' smile. A wiseass remark was threatening to spill from those Jeb-corrupting lips and he braced for impact.

By some miracle the response, '_having_ _my friend the Princess as my Mother-in-Law_' was restrained from tumbling from her mouth. But oh, she could just imagine the first wonderful seconds of thoughtfulness that would pass over his face before shocked realization followed up immediately with _fervent_ denial.

Instead she stared him in the eyes for a moment and finally managed past her smirk, "I think I'll answer that question with a question, Mr. Cain. Why, _oh why_, would it matter to _**you**_ whether or not she looks more attractive?"

And like magic he'd released his hold on her elbow, staring at her like some sort of coiled cobra that was about to strike him with words he wasn't ready to own up to. His eyes flashed around them quickly, _guiltily_ even, to gauge whether anyone around them was standing close enough to hear the question she'd just posed.

"Thought so." She said with an understanding smile. "Does this mean we're finished asking one another questions? I'll take your silence for a yes. Now if you'll excuse me, I know a certain someone out there I'd _very much_ like to provide with a refill…" Alisha winked at him and laughed (not in a mocking or cruel manner, mind you – she was, after all, speaking to her potential Father-in-Law) before making her exit; Wyatt groaned and stared up at the ceiling. Leave it to his son to catch the most headstrong, scheming and outspoken girl available to him.

And what the _hell_? How was it that with those words she'd completely halted his questioning of her involvement in the changes he was witnessing in DG? He knew why, he just wasn't going to allow himself to face it. See if she said the words, or made _him_ say the words, then it was out there, floating around over his head like a bird of prey. No, he needed to keep this thing buttoned down tight until he figured out how to squash it.

But thoughts of squashing anything would have to wait, within seconds DG had cut through the crowd and caught his hand, now laughing and smiling after her dance with Glitch and pulling him out onto the floor with her for another round.


	19. The Countdown

_How did she always manage to make everything feel so right?_

Cain stared down into those smiling eyes and the rest of the room just melted away. Faces in the crowd passed by them in a blur as they danced; none of it mattering so long as she was there with him. Somehow she'd become _home_ to him when all else had slipped away; the one thing in his life that he could count on to welcome him with open arms. The sensation of her soft hand in his grasp made his heart swell; her smiles sent his pulse racing. Perhaps it was the drinks, perhaps it was the contagious joy that was coming from her in torrents, whatever the cause he had stopped thinking. His mind was silent for the moment, simply _feeling_ and not second guessing it.

Slinking along the outskirts of the room in a manner thoroughly befitting her feline mask, Alisha watched the pair with a contented smile set on her lips.

Seeing these two together somehow made the world just seem a little brighter. If there was ever a thing she was meant to do it was aiding in the joining of the Princess and her Tin Man. She felt a sense of duty in helping remove the barriers that stood between them, that by doing so she could open the gates and give the world the existence of one of the sweetest pleasures a being could ever hope to experience – a love that was pure and true. It made her feel lighter somehow watching them interact, as if the struggles of life were worth it if these two could find a way to be together. Their love was a beacon, a symbol of hope that the rest of the world could be led out of darkness by.

The room was awash in a soft glow that she could not pinpoint the source of, she smiled that it was likely DG herself, as if the love in DG's heart was bathing them all in the warmth of her magic. She supposed that might be precisely the case; a happy Princess of Light might very well mean a _glowing_ Princess of Light.

Without warning Jeb popped out of a shadow and snatched her up. She laughed and swatted him in the shoulder, telling him to control himself and to stop using that damnable Cain-_sidling_ trick on her. Jeb grinned down at her mischievously, biting his bottom lip and motioning with his eyes toward the door of a nearby cloakroom. She shook her head and groaned that she'd created a monster, turning in his arms to watch the happy – _if reluctant to admit it_ – couple as they danced.

"It's nice to see Dad so relaxed for a change." Jeb said behind her ear before kissing her hair and she smirked, leaning back against him.

"The Princess, too…I'd say she looks rather pleased, wouldn't you?" Alisha glanced at him over her shoulder as he studied the smile on DG's face, checking to see if realization would pass over his features at her words. No such luck. He gave a disinterested grunt of agreement and went back to amusing himself with the nape of her neck.

_Ah, poor unsuspecting little Jebbie-kins_, she thought with a laugh as he tightened his hold on her and nipped at her ear. She wondered vaguely what his reaction would be to all this as she ran her fingers over his forearm and sighed in the comfort of his embrace; whether he would oppose the revelation that DG and his father were destined for one another. Only time would tell, she supposed.

DG's eyes met hers over Wyatt's shoulder, widening and flicking over to Rose where she stood across the room. Alisha grinned and nodded. "Snooker-doodle, would you be a dear and excuse me for a moment?" She asked and he groaned in disappointment. "Just a minute, I _swear_." She offered as he squeezed her tighter in protest.

"_More_ plotting?" He whined and she laughed as she peeled his hands from her.

"I have _no idea_ what you mean." Alisha said in feigned ignorance, turning to find him staring down at her with a skeptical smirk set on his lips. She cracked up and told him he was adorable when he didn't believe a word she said, kissed him on his nose and quickly made her exit into the crowd.

"Rose!" She called, hopping up to see her friend over the dozens of people blocking her path. "Yo Rose!"

She waited for the head of expertly-curled locks to spin toward the sound of her voice and began waving her hand excitedly to get her attention. After a bit of struggling through the swarms of costumed figures they managed to reach one another and Rose gave her a look of mock disapproval. "You're not playing the expected role of an OZ royal servant again, Alisha. How many times do we need to go over this?" She teased and Alisha rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. Humbled and demure, I got it. But for the moment we have planning to do and I need your help." Alisha said quickly, watching Rose's brows draw together curiously.

"Sure, what do you need? What's going on?" She asked, her eyes flicking over to ensure that DG was still dancing happily with her Tin Man.

"Well I'm _supposed_ to be helping out with one of DG's presents…but I just got the opportunity I was waiting for to set up a little alone time for a certain two lovebirds…do you think you could help me make it happen?" Alisha asked hopefully.

Rose immediately nodded and assured her that it would be no problem, but of course she was assuming the lovebirds were DG and Wyatt…little did _she_ know…

"Oh – you are a LIFE SAVER!" Alisha squealed and seized her for a hug. "Alright, go wait out by the entryway – I'll let them know that you're going to give a hand." She said and motioned for Rose to hurry.

She turned back and waited for DG's eyes to find her again, winking and grinning that they were halfway there.

After ensuring that Rose was out of the ballroom Alisha set out again, hopping every few feet and looking around the crowd for it…_come on… come on…ah hah!_ That zipper was gleaming like a landing strip and she cut through the crowd quickly, offering a dozen apologies before she'd reached him.

"Glitch!" She called, grabbing his hand and dragging him away from the group of ambassadors he'd been gabbing away with. The mortified look on his face once she'd stopped told her she was using the wrong name. "Alright, _Ambrose_, whatever…the one giving DG her big surprise tonight…"

His eyes widened and he clamped a hand over her mouth, casting a worried look around them before pushing her further away from the dance floor – as if DG suddenly had super-human hearing or something.

"_Mmmm mm mmm mmmmmm?_" Alisha mumbled in annoyance against his hand, the mask blocking her arched brow from view.

He gave her an apologetic smile and released her. "Oh – sorry about that!" He said with a nervous laugh, wringing his hands and squinting at her before managing. "What were you saying?"

Alisha moved her mouth around for a moment to undo the squishing it had just endured, tilting her head to the side and smirking finally. "Glitch…do you _moisturize_?" She asked and watched his cheeks immediately darken, with a merciful laugh she waved off her question. "Never mind, it's not important anyway. Look – I'm not gonna be able to help you with the…_thing_." She said, not wanting another hand clamped over her mouth if she uttered the word 'surprise' a second time. His face fell in disappointment but she shook her head. "No, no…it's okay. I have one of the other ladies out there waiting to give you a hand…" or _something_… "She's in the main entryway and volunteered to help out in any way she can."

Glitch…no it was definitely Ambrose…eyed her suspiciously for a moment, undoubtedly getting the feeling that she was up to something. He finally sighed and nodded, turning on his heel and heading out to meet up with the unsuspecting Rose.

She grinned to herself and looked around the room. _Two down._ DG was still twirling around the floor with her Tin Man, Rose was about to be confronted by her head-case…that just left…

"Alisha up to trouble." Came the infuriatingly perceptive voice of old fuzzy-lips behind her and she deflated a little, rolling her eyes with her back to him. _Damned Viewers_, they seemed to spot her meddling a mile away. After regaining her façade of supreme innocence she turned to face him with a grin plastered on her face.

"_Now, Raw_ – you and I barely even know one another. Why would you have such an impression of me?" She asked as she hooked her arm with his and began walking across the room.

Raw watched her like a coiled snake; she was used to men giving her this expression and was actually counting on it. He was barely looking ahead of them as he studied her eyes and tried to gauge what she was plotting. "Because it is true." He said shortly and she nodded, smiling in agreement since there was no use denying it with this one.

"Well I suppose you're right. I am in fact up to…oh, would you _look at that_." Alisha said in mock surprise as she stopped. "_Janet_, my darling…" She began and watched out of the corner of her eye as Raw realized in horror that he'd been led directly into a trap. Alisha felt his arm tense as he stood face to face with the girl he'd been eyeing up in what he'd _thought_ was an imperceptible manner for the past few weeks.

Janet's eyes wandered to Raw slowly then over to Alisha's devilish grin. "How…_are you?_" She asked, though her tone clearly said, 'what the hell are you doing now?'

"I was just telling Raw that it's not fair that he's the only one not dancing. Since I've got Jeb hot on my trail, I figured I'd assign you with the task of ensuring that our dear friend the Viewer here has a good time tonight…and I _know_ you won't let me down…" She paused, watching Janet swallow hard in shock. _That's right_; she'd noticed the looks going _both ways_ and tonight was a night for wrapping up loose ends. How could the girls help DG and Wyatt when they weren't landing the men they had on their own 'to do' lists? She smirked, her eyes passing back and forth between the two as they smiled shyly at one another. "Well, I'll just leave you two to get to know one another. Have fun!" She called as she quickly turned and walked toward where Jeb was pouting in the corner.

"See? That didn't take long, did it?" Alisha called to him as she approached and he shook his head. She leaned over to one of the guards in passing, muttering a quick, "The girl over there in the black feathers says you've got a _great_ ass…she's single, too…" and watching his eyes widen in surprise before settling on Rhonda where she stood completely oblivious to the stud who was about to come make the introductions. "And hey – you up there, _blondie_…" She said to another, tapping him on the shoulder and waiting for him to look down at her, seriously _**down**_ at her – the guy had a good foot and a half on her. "The one in the hot pink over there, see the one dancing? I heard her say she'd _love_ to climb you like a tree. Go get her, tiger." The guard's face immediately lit up in amusement, looking over at Flo and then down at Alisha with an appreciative smile before setting out for his dancing admirer.

Alisha watched him go; letting out a contented sigh and closing the distance between her and Jeb, practically glowing at how nicely things were coming together.

"Now I _know_ you were plotting…" Jeb said with a scowl and pointed at her in accusation. "There's only **two** times I see you with that satisfied smirk on your face." He teased as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"You know me too well, love. How about…you and I…" She purred and walked her fingers up his chest. "Go into that cloakroom over there now that I'm through with my mischief…and you give me my _other_ satisfied smirk? I mean you'll have to be _quick_ since–"

She'd barely finished the sentence and he was tugging her along by the hand. By some miracle she managed to wave to DG and give her a thumbs-up before being pulled away to the dark interior of the closet for a thorough ravishing.

"I take it I should be concerned." His voice broke in on her temporary distraction and DG looked up into those sparkling blue eyes, finding a mixture of amusement and suspicion there and realizing he'd caught Alisha's hand signal.

DG laughed nervously. "No, no…she's just helping me surprise a few of the maids. A way of saying thanks for all their hard work on my gown. Nothing to be alarmed by…"

Wyatt's eyes narrowed on her skeptically. "The fact that the two of you are involved is reason enough for alarm." He said and she grinned up at him.

It wasn't long before she was whisked away from the comfort of Wyatt's touch by an Ambassador, then a would-be suitor, then a member of some high council…but those steely blue eyes followed her every movement. She never once looked for him and failed to find him smiling back at her.

DG laughed seeing Alisha and Jeb finally return from wherever they'd disappeared to, Sarah and Michelle were both hurriedly helping pin her curls back up and fix her mask as they teased her, Jeb was smoothing out his clothes self-consciously upon catching a stern look of mock disapproval from Erin. She had to sigh and take in the sight of them. These were her _friends_ now; friends that she never would have met were it not for Wyatt and her feelings for him. The OZ was fast becoming a place she belonged to and she had him to thank.

A trumpet sounded and she turned away from the man whom she'd never met before but was dancing with, beyond shocked to find Azkadellia slowly descending the stairs.

She wore a flowing white gown with blue accents, its material hiding far more of her breasts than the people of the OZ were accustomed to. Her chestnut hair was down and framing her gentle face, no longer jet-black as it had been before…this was **Az**, _not_ the _witch_.

Azkadellia was a shy and delicate creature, one that had never been allowed to show her true face. Her anxiety was ever so slightly evident in her features as the room fell to silence and DG's stomach tensed seeing it, her jaw flexed as her eyes darted around the suddenly cold room. No applause for her sister, no happiness to see her, just suspicion and looks bordering on hatred.

It wasn't _fair_. These people were not seeing her sister for who she was, they were still fearful of her and it broke her heart. She could see Az's features straining painfully as the silence pressed in on her, the courage it took her to show her face in public astounded DG, but no one seemed to care. No one paid any attention to the fact that her sister was wearing her heart on her sleeve in that moment, that she had sworn she couldn't attend the party for exactly this reason but had tried anyway, just for DG.

She cut across the room quickly, not noticing as Wyatt instantly fell in behind her. He stopped at the base of the stairs as she all but raced up them to meet her sister, taking her hand and watching Az's features relax at the reassurance and safety she was providing with the gesture.

DG looked down at the room filled with faces, now so unwelcoming as opposed to the awe and love they'd held when it was her own turn to descend these stairs.

She'd had _enough_ of this. Her voice sounded strange to her own ears as she began, so strong and confident despite her normal fear of public speaking. "Everyone, _listen up!_" Her words rang out through the already silent room, thousands of eyes widening in surprise at her tone. This was not the way she supposed a Princess should be addressing her people, but she didn't give a rat's ass anymore.

Maybe it was the presence of friends, people she knew would support her; the presence of Wyatt that spurred such sudden bravery in her, maybe it was the way his blue eyes glittered with pride as she prepared to launch into a tirade, the way he seemed to know what she was going to say even before she did. She could see the Queen and Ahamo crossing the room to reach her, likely hoping to silence her but it wasn't going to happen. These people were making Az _sad_; the distrust in their eyes was making her sister's life _miserable_ when she should be focusing on healing.

"I want you all to meet my sister, _**Az**_, for the _**first time**_. For the past several years you've known a completely different person wearing her face in much the same way you wear your masks tonight." She heard a small stirring of whispers, likely people explaining to one another what a 'year' was. "You have all been made aware of this, yet many of you are still staring at her as if the witch is hiding somewhere inside her. This is your _Princess_, every bit as much as I am – if not _**more**_. She was made to suffer in a way none of us could imagine even in our worst nightmares…what the witch did to people on the outside she has done to my sister from within…"

Az clutched her hand tightly, looking down at the floor as tears welled up in her eyes and inching closer to DG, seeking comfort as words she'd never dared to hope for poured from her angelic sister's mouth.

This wasn't the way things were done; their parents had offered an explanation for the events in the manner expected of the royal family, they had done so in a decree…

But words on a royal doctrine offered little solace to people whose entire lives had been destroyed, people who had lost children and parents and lovers, friends and siblings and neighbors.

DG was addressing these people as if they were her peers, not skirting the issue, not pretending that everything was fine or that their feelings were non-existent, not afraid of consequence as she tackled the issue head-on. Az looked at the side of her sister's indignant face and couldn't help but smile in awe. A rustling of fabric echoed throughout the room as many shifted guiltily at the looks they'd been giving Az. Many eyes were cast downward as DG's accusatory glare leveled the room.

She paused seeing the group of maids all watching her with proud smiles on their faces, Jeb standing with his arms around Alisha…poor Jeb who'd lost _everything_ to the witch…and was now nodding to DG in approval of her words.

She inclined her head to him in appreciation before continuing. "Had it not been for her strength in overcoming the witch there would be no light in the OZ; many of us would not be alive today – including me – and there would _definitely_ be no cause for celebration. She lost her entire young adult life to that witch because I was too afraid to stand by her, to be as brave as she was and stand my ground against such a terrible evil…I _failed_ her, I failed you _all_ and I've had to live with that every day since discovering the truth – I was a child and did a stupid, cowardly thing…yet you've all forgiven me."

A few unbidden tears streamed down her cheeks and she sniffled, looking down at the stairs and leaning against her sister, her voice cracking as she continued. "It hurts me _so much _that even though it was my fault, even though I was the one who caused this everyone sees her as the one to blame, but you have to realize, even after suffering _fifteen years_ under the witch's control Az was _**still**_ courageous enough to stand her ground, to see it through to the end so that we all could have a chance at happiness. She and I stood side by side on that balcony and were it not for her, for all the things she taught me even as a child I would have failed. I _**never**_ could have done it without her." She shook her head and looked up at them again, trying to keep a grip on her emotions. DG's voice was straining, her eyes welling up with tears as she pled for the understanding of this room of strangers. "So _please_, don't treat her as an enemy – this is the bravest and kindest woman you will ever meet. Be wise enough to understand that while this is the face you knew to be the witch, you were deceived. I ask you to believe me, not in your minds but in your _hearts_ because I cannot stand seeing my sister treated so unfairly after she has suffered so much. You owe her your _thanks_, not your _fear_."

With a bit of effort she managed to swallow and clear her throat, taking a steadying breath. "So, people of the OZ, may I proudly introduce to you my sister…_Princess Azkadellia_."

DG held up their joined hands, smiling over at Az with the room erupting in applause.

She stared at the tears in her sister's eyes, smiling as Azkadellia laughed happily and hugged her, whispering into her hair that she loved her and making DG's entire world a better place. The crowd was still cheering as they ended their embrace, DG laughing and pointing down at Jeb and Chelsea as they both whistled enthusiastically.

The Queen and Ahamo were staring at their daughters and for a moment DG's breath caught in her throat fearing that she would find disapproval in their eyes…but both of them looked thoroughly pleased so she guessed she'd done something right.

To DG's sheer delight a member of the royal guard, built like a brick wall with dark hair and grey eyes, stepped forward and extended his hand to Azkadellia; asking her quietly if she would give him the honor of her first dance of the evening. DG recognized him as one of the men usually posted at her sister's quarters and was grinning like a _mad woman_ seeing the way her sister's cheeks reddened, the way she smiled shyly as she nodded and took his hand.

With one last squeeze and a smile that could have melted ice Az released DG's hand and made her way out to the dance floor with her guard.

DG descended the remaining stairs feeling like she was walking on air, beyond thrilled with herself for making it through that little impromptu speech and managing to help her sister.

"Well done."

She heard his voice right behind her ear and laughed, turning to find Wyatt smiling down at her. She tried to keep her own cheeks from darkening at the thoughts that immediately formed upon having his mouth so close to her.

"Did you like that? There's plenty more where that came from." She teased.

"You'll have to put it on hold for a bit. I'm supposed to be coming up with a false pretense to lure you to the library so you can get one of your presents." Wyatt said with a smile as he rolled his eyes.

An indignant, "_Ah!_" immediately sounded from behind them. DG turned and found Alisha and Jeb standing there, Alisha with her arms crossed over her chest as she shook her head. "Real smooth, Tin Man." She chided before turning back to Jeb. "_See?_ I _told_ you he wouldn't lie to her." She insisted and Jeb cracked up. "Not even for a _birthday present!_ Geesh."

DG's eyes wandered back over to Wyatt, smiling at the way he was arching a brow at Jeb's outspoken bed-buddy as if wondering whether a gag was in order.

Despite Alisha's obvious wish that he'd played along, DG was actually thankful that he hadn't tried to lie to her. Can you _imagine_ how disappointed she would have been?

_Wyatt telling her to follow him, leading her away from the party to where she would have presumed the two of them would be alone…she would have been ready to burst by the time they reached the library, just gearing up to tackle him when suddenly she'd have been faced with the __**horrible**__ realization that nookie wasn't on the agenda_.

How would she have managed to pretend another gift would suffice after believing that she was going to receive a gift-wrapped Tin Man?

No – it was better that he'd been honest. She didn't think she could have withstood the trauma of such an incident.

"So…I guess we're going to the library then." DG said with a laugh, finally managing to tear her eyes away from Wyatt.

They ascended the stairs like a pack, undoubtedly leaving the guests to wonder why there was suddenly a shortage of staff serving drinks but none of the girls cared, they wanted to see this.

Glitch was standing out in the hall with Rose as they approached, both of them looking like teenagers who'd just been caught in the act, standing a bit too far away from one another suddenly and Alisha and DG shared a knowing smile.

"Princess…" Glitch said in greeting, bowing to her and smiling as he stood upright.

DG bit the inside of her cheek, trying not to laugh as she pointed at his mouth. "You've…you've just got a little…" She said quietly, motioning for him to wipe off the lipstick that was still present.

He let out a nervous laugh and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, hurriedly trying to remove the evidence all the while ignoring the surprised smirks on Wyatt and Jeb's faces. Rose was averting her eyes guiltily from Alisha, who was now grinning like a Cheshire cat.

With a little help from DG, Glitch finally managed to get all of it. "Ummm…" He began, clearing his throat and struggling to form a coherent thought through his embarrassment. "Oh yes! DG…I've been working on this for you for the past few months…everyone standing here and more who aren't helped in one way or another, all of them keeping it quiet and aiding me in any way they could. So…from me and everyone else…this is your birthday present…"

Rose and him each pushed open one of the doors to the library, Wyatt giving Glitch an impressed look seeing that he and whoever had helped with the presentation had managed to clear a fifteen foot wide path from the doors all the way to the far end of the room, where DG's present was standing.

Rose smiled back at the others; it gave the appearance of a huge gift box but was actually a metal frame draped in material. With a bit of work they'd managed to wrap it up in a big bow.

The look on DG's face as she cautiously approached it was well worth the wait; Glitch was beside her every step of the way – anxious to see her reaction.

"You just have to pull that cord there…" He said, barely able to contain his excitement.

"What…in the _world_…" She breathed, wondering what could possibly be so large. She cherished the moment a little longer, looking back at all the expectant faces and drinking it all in. Whatever it was the others were certainly sure she'd be impressed, the way they were all leaning forward made her laugh. "Alright…here goes nothing…" She said, reaching out to the soft rope and giving it a good tug.

The material began to fall, pouring over the frame as she stared up at it in shock…

It reached the floor leaving her standing face to face with Hank and Emily for the first time in several months.

"_Mom! Dad!_" She squealed, racing to them without a second's hesitation. They were laughing as they caught her, hugging her and telling her that they'd missed her terribly. "Wait a minute…sooo…you're…better now?" She finally asked in a worried voice, eyeing them with concern before looking back at Glitch.

Glitch nodded to her reassuringly. "Good as new." He told her with a smile and DG buried her face against them as she wept happily. "It did take a lot of work to undo that _evil_ _b_–" He stopped himself. "_Witch's_ rewiring…"

Wyatt looked over at him with a smirk; apparently Ambrose, _Mr. Prim and Proper himself_, had a tendency of cursing when angry.

"But I figured it out. They've been restored to their exact state prior to the witch's meddling, I even managed to keep all of their memories intact from then till now." Glitch said, unsure of whether DG could hear him over her sobbing.

She'd forced herself to stop thinking about them so that it wouldn't hurt as much…but these were her _**parents**_. They had been for the past fifteen years, through all the years that mattered and for every lucid memory she possessed. It didn't make a difference that she knew they weren't human now, they still felt human to her. They were still warm and soft, still hugged her just right, still cried tears of joy along with her at the reunion. Losing them had been like having her heart ripped out, she didn't care who saw how thrilled she was in that moment. The Queen and Ahamo could have walked in right then and she wouldn't have let go.

The rest of the group watched with warm smiles as she clung to them, pleased to have been a part of the moment for her. **Someone** (_cough, Isabella_ _and Lisa, cough_) had foreseen that this wasn't going to be a short event and had brought a few bottles of wine along for the celebration. Sorena, Candice and Sanela were passing out glasses as the girls all began chattering away.

Wyatt hooked his thumbs in his belt and watched everyone at once, in that way only _he_ could.

He took in Flo and Rhonda who were currently off at the edges of the room with their new boy toys talking in low tones, Glitch and Rose as they smiled at one another in a private fashion, Alisha and Jeb as they joked about _who_ could drink _who_ under the table and snagged their own bottle of wine to find out. His brows drew together at this sudden and disturbing trend, recalling that even Azkadellia was downstairs being swept off her feet by a guard. Movement at the door caught his attention and he turned as Raw and Janet entered the room arm in arm complaining that they'd missed the big event.

_Oh God, not Raw, too_…

Out of habit at this point his eyes wandered over to the mouthy one, finding her arching a brow at him with a smirk on her lips as Jeb handed her a full glass and started counting down for them to start drinking.

He couldn't shake the feeling that a separate countdown had already begun.


	20. Charge

They spent more time than they should have celebrating in the library, but no one had the heart to tell DG she should probably return to her guests downstairs. The wine was flowing, the laughter filling the air and the company of so many people she cared about was giving DG a far happier birthday party then the stuffy version going on in the ballroom.

Wyatt watched suspiciously as Alisha continued her drinking games, challenging DG to go shot for shot with her as the other girls hooted and hollered excitedly that they wanted in on the fun. After downing six shots each Erin had stepped forward; taking the yet-to-be=opened bottle Jeb had been holding and grinning at him. "Here, I'll show you how it's done." She teased and he watched in awe as she popped the cork and downed it to a chorus of "chug! Chug! Chug!" The girls cheered as she passed the empty bottle back to him. A satisfied grin on her face, Erin didn't have time to react before Alisha was jumping on her back, kissing her cheek and pledging her undying loyalty.

Wyatt scanned the room of girls gone wild as Alisha and Erin both crashed (rather ungracefully) to the floor in a fit of giggles, leaving the others to snort and honk as they clutched their sides and tried to stay standing. He did a quick head-count and figured there would need to be at least twenty additional guards summoned to help haul them back to their quarters if they drank themselves to the point of immobilization.

A few hours (and _several_ additional bottles of booze) later that was precisely what became necessary, though he'd been surprised by the need for an extra guard to help the thoroughly hammered head-case out.

DG was adorably relaxed as she swayed beside Wyatt at the doorway; she'd long since foregone her shoes and wings, now standing barefoot on the cool marble. She said her goodnights to the other girls as they made their way out of the library past her, each of them slurring their happy birthday wishes and hugging her while standing on unsteady legs. He couldn't even feign annoyance at DG's inebriation; she was such a happy little drunk that he had to laugh.

Last ones out the door were the still-sober Hank and Emily. They hugged her and told her how proud they were of all that she'd done, bringing on a short drunken outburst of happy Princess tears as she clung to them. Wyatt laughed as he steadied her once the embrace was over.

"Mr. Cain, I can only assume that you took all that information about the Other Side and put it to good use – I'm thrilled to see how happy our DG is now." Emily said to him, giving him a warm smile of appreciation as his jaw dropped open.

_Busted_.

DG's eyes slowly wandered up to his face; burning with a million questions he knew without a doubt she was going to start asking the instant they were alone.

"Goodnight." Hank said, smiling at them both as he and Emily made their way out into the hall.

"_You_…" DG began with a smirk as soon as they were out of earshot, pointing at him as she wobbled in place. "Sneaky, _sneaky _Tin Man. You asked my parents about the Other Side?" She said and he laughed.

"Well I didn't understand what was wrong with you…how else was I supposed to figure it out?" He offered and she stared at him in wide wonder.

"That day I tried to take off by myself…_that's_ where you went for all those hours?" She said in amazement.

"Well…_yes_…I mean I just…" He stammered, but didn't get much further than that before she was hugging him tightly. His body was demanding that he wrap his arms around her as she sighed contentedly against his chest, but his eyes were instantly wide and panic-stricken as he surveyed the area for any witnesses. "Hey…_hey hey hey_…._not in the palace!" _He whispered frantically and she giggled as he pulled her off of him.

"You're so great. I think I've told you that before…" She said, tilting her head to the side as she stared up at him adoringly. "But I'll say it again because it's true. How'd I get lucky enough to find you?" She said dreamily.

His heart felt like it was being _squeezed_.

He swallowed hard, looking down at her with emotion straining his features…if only she knew he'd wondered that same thing about her a million times. If only he'd admit it to himself.

_She was starting to stand on her toes now…  
Tilting her head to the side…  
Her lips were parting expectantly as her eyes wandered to his lips in invitation…_

_And he could feel his head starting to lower of its own accord…  
He was moving to close the distance between them… _

_o.0__**MAYDAY!!!!!!!!!  
**_

HO-  
LY-  
SHIT –

:-O

His eyes widened again in horror as he caught himself just a fraction of a _second_ before leaning down to kiss her. As in actually _KISS_ HER!

He cleared his throat and looked out into the hallway. "Come on, Princess…" He said in a sobering tone, suddenly standing away from her at arm's length as his body fought for the right to answer her request. "You need to get some sleep." He managed, though his voice sounded at least two octaves too high.

That's most definitely **not** what she was after and they both knew it.

DG sighed and leaned against him again, using him as a means to stay upright as he led her out into the hall.

They didn't make it far before she was stumbling, reaching out for the wall, stepping away from him and resting her cheek on the cool marble of it. "I just wanna…stop…for a minute…" She breathed. "_Just…a…minute_…"

He shook his head, looking back and forth down the length of the empty hallway and ensuring that no one was around. With a scowl on his face he made a mental note to keep Alisha and alcohol away from the Princess from that day forward, hating that he was being forced into this and blaming that meddling mouthy little blonde for setting him up.

He stepped forward hesitantly; biting his bottom lip as he slowly hoisted up the royally blitzed Princess. An arm behind her shoulders and the other behind her knees, he stood in abject horror as she nuzzled her face under his chin and let out little pleasant moans between her yawns. With his teeth gritted he started the long trek to her quarters.

"So what did you get me for my birthday?" She asked through one of those yawns and he smirked.

"You don't get your present until walk day." He said, hoping for her to drop it.

_Yeah right_.

"What is it?" She asked with excitement in her muffled voice.

Wyatt sighed. He didn't know what had possessed him to even _buy_ the damned thing. One of these was enough trouble, right?

But Glitch had to tell him that _stupid story_ about where it had come from and, being his normal curious self, Wyatt had used those numerous hours DG was spending getting prettied-up to take a trip out to Central City. He hadn't planned it out, per say, but he hadn't come up with anything to get for DG and one of the factions of guards was conveniently already making a quick run there for supplies.

It hadn't taken long to locate the shop, the ancient symbol hanging as a sign above the door had drawn his immediate attention. It was dark inside, seemingly unchanged for many decades. The air had been musty, but welcoming somehow – like reading an old book and smelling the age of the paper. The man behind the counter had simply watched him in intrigue as he walked around the display cases, not saying a word or trying to direct his attention anywhere.

The instant Wyatt's eyes passed over the seemingly insignificant charm beneath the glass he'd known it was the one. It disturbed him to great lengths that the knowledge seemed to come as easily as breathing. He'd tapped on the case and looked up at the man behind the counter.

"This one. How much?" He'd asked in a distant tone, his heart racing for some reason with the need to purchase it.

The man had smiled at him, climbing down from his stool and approaching slowly. "If it is for who I _think_ it is for…and if you are wearing what I _think_ you are wearing…it is yours to take. I cannot sell something to its rightful owner, now can I?"

Wyatt's stomach had tensed at that statement. "_Who_ do you think it's for?" He'd asked suspiciously.

"You answer first. _What_ are you wearing…" the man had countered, adding with a purposeful glance to Wyatt's chest and the location of the concealed pendant, "_Protector_?"

Steely blue eyes had narrowed on this strangely perceptive individual, studying him as if sifting through his soul for any trace of deception. He was using the magic of the pendant now and not even realizing it.

"So you know." He finally conceded as the haze of the magic dissipated. "What _are_ you?" Wyatt had asked, his eyes unwillingly returning to the charm that was pleading to be freed.

"I have my gifts, not that there is a term for my kind. I can simply see these objects for what they are, perceive their magic and hear their wishes…though I'm not the only one who hears the voice of _that_ one am I?" The man said quietly, studying the way Wyatt was so transfixed by the small bit of metal beneath the glass.

The man had taken it from the case, smiling to himself as he carefully slid the pendant and its delicate chain into a velvet bag like the one DG had carried the Protector charm in. "They've been waiting for you both…I didn't believe them but they were so sure you'd come. When she walked through my door I couldn't get over it, should know better than to doubt the Powers That Be after all these years, I suppose. Do you know she went right for it? She didn't even question why, just let the magic guide her like a pebble in the sea. The light is strong in that girl. May her enemies realize it and not do anything foolish…" The man mused, pressing the bag into Wyatt's outstretched hand and waiting for those blue eyes to meet his before finishing, "And may these objects aid you should those enemies try their luck."

Wyatt had exited the shop feeling as drunk as the Princess in his arms; it had taken nearly the entire ride back to the palace to get used to the sensation of both pendants being in his possession. They seemed to be singing inaudibly to one another, it was an odd experience for him. It wasn't that he perceived it by sound or touch, by sight or taste or smell – yet somehow he could _feel_ it. Even in that moment he could hear their whispers at the edge of his consciousness.

DG was whining as he set her on her feet outside her door, looking up at him with tired eyes as she pouted. "You're really gonna make me wait _three days_ for my present? Can't I just have it now?" She asked, and he sighed in defeat as she put words to the pleas of the charm in his pocket.

"Alright…fine…but you can't show anyone, okay?" He asked and waited for her to grin and nod her head. "You know that charm you gave me?" DG nodded again, her eyes wandering to the bit of the leather throng that she could see above his shirt. "I learned a little about it…apparently the very first white witch of the OZ created it and gave it to her guardian as a way to help him keep her safe." DG's eyes widened in surprise but she couldn't think of anything to say to that revelation. "And I just had this hunch that it wasn't the only one, I don't know why, I just…" He shook his head, still not knowing how he'd been aware that there were two charms. "So I went back to the shop and found it – the pendant of the Charge. It belonged to Nura, that was the name of the white witch, and it's the other half of this." He pointed to the unseen charm beneath his shirt. "They look like they fit together somehow but I thought…since it was your birthday…that you might want to…"

DG's eyes were wide with anticipation. "Let me see!" She said, holding out her hand eagerly.

Wyatt laughed and withdrew the bag from his pocket, shaking the pendant out into his palm and showing it to her. She tilted her head to the side as she studied it, something drew her to it in the same inexplicable way the Protector charm had.

Without thought she was lifting her hair from her neck, and just as naturally he was placing the chain around her neck clasping it as their eyes met. He felt the words coming from his lips before he even put a thought to them, his fingers lingering on the chain as he spoke. "Dorothy Gale, Princess of the OZ and trusted friend…I name thee…Charge." His voice sounded strange, as if they were echoed by another. He chalked it up to the acoustics of the hallway.

The soft light that passed over the symbol at the naming was not missed by him this time around and he eyed it up suspiciously, suddenly wondering what the hell he was doing.

He blinked several times, his brows drawn together in confusion. It was like waking up from a dream and finding that you'd been sleepwalking. He hadn't thought it through, hadn't asked Glitch to research what this charm was capable of…yet there it was, lying on DG's chest before being tucked away beneath the material of her dress.

"I…I don't even know what to say…" DG said as she looked up into his eyes. "Thank you, Wyatt…" The emotion swirling in those dark blue waters told him more than her words ever could, and yeah – they were still saying entirely too much.

She mercifully didn't try for another hug, instead reaching out and giving his hand a squeeze of appreciation before turning and trying to open the door to her room.

With a smirk he watched her fumbling with the knob, the way she was leaning on the doorframe so heavily for support. "You gonna be okay to…" He began, adding a quick, "_Nope!_" as the door opened and she started to fall forward. Without hesitation he'd caught her, judging by the way she was swaying that walking was not even an option. He sighed and shook his head as he braced her by her shoulders. "I'm not helping you out of your dress." He announced determinedly and she laughed.

"Just throw me in the general direction of the bed; I'm in no shape to get changed anyway." DG said in exhaustion.

Wyatt cracked up imagining that one, him refusing to enter her room with her and instead simply aiming and giving her a good toss. That was a bit extreme, even if he did dread carrying her to her bed.

He picked her up again, his stomach tying itself in knots as he crossed the room with her. With a trembling hand he pulled back the covers and gently laid her on the bed, pulling them back over her and resisting the urge, yet again, to kiss her as she stared up at him.

"Goodnight, Wyatt." She said softly and he had to look away from her, it was too much.

"Goodnight, DG." He managed as he ran a hand over his face and exited the room with every muscle of his body willing him to stay.


	21. Endless Dream

Sleep came easily for him that night; despite the millions of confusing emotions he could have been obsessing over regarding DG, his mind was somehow content in the knowledge that no danger was present. Things felt right, somehow.

But as easily as slumber claimed him he was entering a dream unlike anything he'd ever experienced.

_He slowly became aware of the grass beneath him, could feel the dew-slicked blades beneath his fingers. Warm rays of morning sunlight passed through leaves overhead to reach him, flickering as the wind played at the trees. There was water nearby; he could hear the faintest sounds of waves lapping at a shore. Birds were chirping quietly as he opened his eyes and found himself in an impossibly bright and misty realm. _

_He sat up slowly, looking around in astonishment and wondering how he'd come to be in this place. He heard laughter to his side and spun toward the sound, not seeing anything at first but not trusting his eyes. More giggling, this time behind him caused him to turn; he only caught the sight of wild blonde hair as it disappeared behind one of the trees. _

"_What the…." He breathed, his head tilted to the side as he ventured toward whatever was hiding, stopping dead in his tracks as the stark naked girl peeked out at him from behind the trunk of a tree. _

_He blinked several times in confusion. _

_She looked like… _

"_Alisha?" He asked, his brows drawn together in bewilderment as he approached the girl cautiously. _

"_Hun ta cahaul lethui…amori de ka chia…" The girl breathed in a language that sounded like a song, smiling at him and laughing mischievously before darting away. _

_Wyatt's eyes widened in surprise at what he could have __**sworn**__ were a pair of wings on the girl's back. _

_He looked around himself, shocked to spot another Alisha lookalike sprinting in the same direction as the other, this one wearing a sheer white dress as opposed to nothing at all. She stopped and smiled at him, waiving for him to follow before racing off again. _

_Yeah. Those were wings alright. _

_He climbed the hill slowly, reaching the top and standing beyond shocked as he looked out at the far shores of the Calabrian Isle…this would have taken weeks to reach from Finaqua…_

_He recognized the mountain range looming in the distance…but the cities were not where they should have been. Untouched wilderness stretched in all directions as far as the eye could see…and to his complete shock there were…things…flying above the tree line. _

_No, not things…_

_**Women**__. _

_Like birds they were hovering and diving, hundreds of them looking just as the first two he'd seen, baring uncanny resemblance to that little troublemaker…_

_What kind of a hell had he wandered into where there were thousands of winged Alishas running loose to torment him? _

_But there were others, as well. Some of them had red hair so bright it looked like fire, others with dark brown, all of them seemed to be excited about his presence and were motioning to him, calling him toward what looked to be a temple on the shore. _

_He had to lean on a tree to keep himself from falling over in shock, only to have something touch his hand and cause him to spin in surprise. Another blonde one, she was wearing that same knowing smile as she nodded to him and reached out for his hand. He didn't know what else to do but let her have it, trying to ignore her total lack of clothing as she led him down to the beach below. _

_They approached the smooth stone building and he found himself troubled by its size despite the lack of any modern looking means of construction. This was…which meant he was in…_

_No. That couldn't be right. _

_But it was…somehow…_

_This temple would have been thousands of annuals old judging by its design…but there __**was**__ no temple at the Calabrian Isle…at least not at the present time. _

_There hadn't been one in…_

_So…did that mean he was somehow in the past?_

_That would mean the language these creatures were speaking…was the ancient language? _

_He looked over at the sprite that was urging him forward and she nodded and smiled as if hearing his thoughts. Troubling thing was he had a feeling she really __**had**__. The girl tugged his hand and led him up the stairs, releasing her grip on him and pointing at the entryway. _

_Wyatt stared at her in awe for a moment longer, his eyes finally wandering up the building where several other of the blondes were clinging to the stone in a manner that defied gravity, wearing nothing but their wild hair and smiles._

_He shook his head and looked back at the girl in front of him, inclining his head to her. "Thank you…" He said softly, unsure of why he was saying it in the first place. She might have just led him to his death for all he knew. _

_The wings on her back fluttered happily and she inclined her head back to him. "Na shuilla tien…" She breathed, again pointing for him to enter the temple. _

_Taking a deep breath he finally forced himself to venture within, pushing a door that stood nearly three stories tall and finding the interior awash in white light. _

_There were whispers in the fog that surrounded him as the door closed, voices speaking that same language that he couldn't understand…but one word was easily recognizable._

"_Nura." He said aloud in time with the whispers. _

_As if responding to his call the fog cleared. Standing before him was the first white light of the OZ, the Queen before there was even a royal bloodline. Wyatt was rendered speechless as she studied him. _

_She smiled at him, a beautiful smile that left him instantly breathless; the intensity of the magic that was flowing from her brought him to his knees with tears in his eyes. She was so ethereal that it was almost painful to look upon her. _

_Her dark hair framed an impossibly gorgeous face, pulled back in a manner that was simple and natural in its elegance. Her dress was entirely see through, its material hugging her body and pooling at her feet, symbols were stitched into the gown where it reached the floor, he recognized them as the symbol he'd just given DG, the symbol of the Charge. Her sleeves were hanging to the floor as she stared into his eyes and reached out for his hand. _

_She spoke to him in a voice that could have made all the angels in heaven cry, her words unfamiliar yet somehow translated in his mind as he took her hand. _

"_Brave one…you are here to be judged…" She whispered as her other hand cradled his cheek lovingly. "You are of kindness and valor, of honesty and heart, of honor above all else. I see you would fight for her even with your dying breath, and be happy for the chance to give it. You are most worthy of this gift bestowed upon you; you have my protection, my power to aid you in your hour of greatest need so that you may protect your true love. She belongs to you and no other now." Nura breathed and he couldn't keep the tears from his eyes. Her voice was too much to bear, so perfect that it left him weak. _

_The fog that had been held at bay enveloped them, leaving him to cover his eyes and weep as her hand slipped from his grasp. _

_He felt like he'd just been touched by a goddess, as if her magic was coursing through his veins, her love filling his lungs with each breath he took. _

_There were fingers on his hands now, urging him to look at her. He vaguely wondered what apparition would greet him this time. A winged, nude Alisha? Another goddess to judge his worth? _

_But the blue eyes that awaited him left him in complete awe. DG stared down at him adoringly, kneeling on the ground before him and cradling his face in her hands. _

_She didn't know why he was crying or where they were, it seemed like she'd been summoned to this place somehow…and now she knew why. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words that fell from her lips were not her own. _

"_Sha den neh isa ca'adi." She whispered, her voice entwined with Nura's as she spoke both in the dream and in the safety of her bed as she slept. _

_Wyatt looked up at her as he held her hands at his face. "Sha den neh isa ca'adi." He replied, the voice of Othniel echoing with his in this world as well as his own. _

_For you are my one love, they'd said. _

_DG leaned closer to him, staring him in the eyes as he finally succumbed to his desire and pulled her to him, kissing her mouth hungrily as he rolled her onto her back. _

_She moaned in sweet release at his touch, running her hands through his hair as he began kissing his way across her jaw and down to the nape of her neck. She was wearing a gown like Nura's he found, the gown of the Charge, its material so soft that he feared he would destroy it. _

_He couldn't bring himself to tear it, instead letting his lips wander over her body as he inched down the length of her, stopping with his mouth above her breast and letting the heat of his breath torture her nipple through the tissue-thin fabric. _

_She trembled beneath him, moaning and rolling her head to the side, her hands caressing his neck before he was finally out of reach. _

_With his hands under the fabric he slid them over her feet, her calves….her knees…her thighs as she mewed for more…_

**BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM**

Someone was pounding on the door…

Wyatt sat up straight in the bed, his eyes wide and horrified at the realization that it was all a dream, looking around and finding not a trace of her. He moaned in abject devastation feeling his entire body already halfway toward a _much needed_ release that was now being denied.

"_**Noooooo**_…." He groaned as he flopped back down on the bed, covering his face with a pillow as he tried to slow his breathing.

"Dad? Hey, Dad!" Jeb called from the other side of the door.

Wyatt wondered whether his son would understand if he knocked him out for this.

"Go away!" Wyatt called back from under the pillow, parts of him now literally in _**pain**_ at the sudden denial of DG's touch.

"You're supposed to be on guard. It's like noon already, you ever gonna wake up?" Jeb said in annoyance and Wyatt could only grunt in response. Jeb shook his head out in the hallway, yelling at the closed door. "Fine, I'll take your shift until you get up – you're lucky she's sleeping in late as hell, too or else you'd owe me _big time!_" He called before turning on his heel and heading to DG's quarters.

Wyatt's brows drew at that, but he was in far too much anguish to give it further thought. Whether he was flying solo or not he was going to have to do something about it at this point. He climbed from the bed and stalked to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.


	22. Na’hala’can’tien

After taking care of what that horrid dream had started he'd spent more than an hour standing under a freezing cold shower, leaning on the wall and praying for strength as the water rained down on him.

It wasn't his strongest moment, he'd admit that. The thought of finding DG and finishing what he'd envisioned was too tempting for comfort.

With a sigh he'd _finally_ managed to dress and drag himself out the door. His face was a lovely shade of infuriated crimson, his frustration at a peak as he hurriedly made his way toward Glitch's library seeking answers. The presence of Nura in his dream only confirmed his fears of a link between his little interlude with the Princess and the pendant he'd given her.

How could he have been so rash? It wasn't like him to do something so irresponsible and spur of the moment. He should have done a _massive_ amount of research before that charm had come anywhere _near_ DG. Who was he to trust these feelings? They could be a trap. He could be putting her at risk here and the thought alone made him even angrier with himself.

This damned magic was to blame. He needed to find a way to take it off, _to turn it off_, to make it stop forcing him to …_do_ _things_…that he wasn't ready for…His eyes glazed over at the memory of the taste of DG in his dream…the sounds she'd made, the way she'd been so eager for his touch. A growl of frustration left his lips, echoing off the marble and causing a few of the guards posted in the hall to jump. He didn't care, recalling the dream made him recall the millions of questions he had about it.

What had it been exactly? A horrible combination of all the things he'd seen and felt over the course of the day? Oh, how happily he would have clung to that belief…

He tried for a moment to force himself to buy into it. _He __**had**__ wanted to kiss DG earlier that night, and as much as he'd love to deny it, he'd seen in her eyes that she'd wanted it, too. It would have been reasonable for his mind to play out a scenario stemming from such a surprising (and never EVER to be repeated) event…plus he __**had**__ learned of Nura and the origins of the pendant in the morning, so maybe the image of her had been an invention of his own overactive imagination._

But hundreds of stark naked, winged Alishas? o.0

Alright, come on, even **he** had to admit it was just plain _weird_ for him to be picturing such a thing.

He couldn't explain that part away no matter how he hard he tried. Her mischievous nature was one thing - he wasn't able to rationalize how his mind had taken the giant leap to the image of her as some sort of mythical creature. The questions as to where such an image could have come from were making him even more aggravated, easily breeding distrust in him given his current state of vexation.

_Maybe she was something more dangerous than a loudmouth..._the suspicions said and his features tensed in worry. _Maybe she was up to more than simply meddling in DG's appearance and causing the trend of new relationships in the palace_...

Wyatt didn't want to believe it, _especially_ not with how closely she'd allied herself with his son, but something was nagging at him about her now. He was always one to trust his instincts about people and he couldn't ignore the sense that he wasn't seeing the whole picture when it came to her.

He ground his teeth together angrily as he turned the corner and abandoned all attempts of trying to chalk the images up to being just a dream. It wasn't working - there was no use in telling himself that it wasn't linked to the magic of the charms in some way.

But why would Nura have said that DG _belonged_ to him now? What the _hell_ were these pendants _doing?_ Had he unwittingly purchased some sort of love spell? He trembled at the thought. He had enough on his plate with these damnable feelings sprouting in the darkest corners of his mind; he wasn't prepared for any magical meddling to make them any worse for him...

"Head-case, you in here?" He called as he pushed the doors, only to stop dead in his tracks.

His mouth fell open in shock, a feeling of dread coiling in his gut as he took in the scene before him.

There, seated around one of the tables with **Glitch** right at the head of it, were the maids.

_Every single one_ of them.

For a few seconds dozens of stunned faces stared back at him, forks stopped inches from mouths, pens froze mid-scribble. Tumbleweeds rolling across the scene of this standoff would have completed the moment.

They were eating breakfast in here for some reason, a few of them guiltily tucking notepads beneath their plates upon seeing him. He scanned the dozens of sets of eyes that were avoiding his at all costs, finally managing in a thoroughly suspicious tone, "What the hell is going on in here?"

A voice reached him from the crowd and his heart raced. _Oh no, not __**now**__...he wasn't ready to face her now_...

"Just eating breakfast, Mr. Cain." DG said with a smile as she leaned forward enough to be seen past the others. _There was something in the way she was looking at him today, the slightest hint of color in those cheeks..._he said a silent prayer that she hadn't had a similar vision in the night.

The head-case gave Wyatt a nervous smile and wave and he narrowed his eyes on him. Something was definitely up. He felt like he'd just unintentionally walked into the war room of the enemy. After another moment of tense silence he shook his head to jumpstart his brain. "Well everybody needs to take their breakfast elsewhere, _**now**_. I need to talk to Glitch and as I'm still not sure exactly _what_ is going on in here…you'll understand that I'm not too upset to be interrupting."

"Interrupting what?," came that familiar voice of feigned innocence from behind him.

Wyatt spun on her quickly, leaving her to stare up at him in surprise as she nearly choked on the piece of bread she'd just taken a bite of.

"And _you_..." He began, glaring down at her suspiciously.

_"What the hell did__** I**__do?"_ Alisha demanded with a full mouth, looking around the room of stunned faces for an explanation. Even DG had nothing.

"I don't know what you're up to, but I'm _going_ to find out...." He said in a low tone, his finger pointed at her in accusation. His eyes took in her clothing and his scowl became markedly more severe. "And...go put on more clothes!"

She stared at him as if he'd completely flipped his lid, her brow arching damned near to her hairline as she looked down at her attire and found nothing wrong with it. In fact it was just a normal OZ house dress, covered just about everything from her cleavage to her ankles.

"Jeb - your pops is _wigging_ over here. I think somebody spiked his coffee - he's staring at me like I'm fluttering around the palace _naked_ or something!" Alisha said in disbelief.

To her great dismay that choice of words brought him a step closer, his features suddenly grave. "Why '_fluttering'?_" He asked in a dangerous tone that made her eyes widen as she struggled to swallow.

Jeb was now crossing the room to break them up while the others stared in shock.

"Come again?" She asked, looking up at him and wondering how he seemed to make himself _taller_ when angry.

"Why would you use _that_ word?" He demanded.

"It's just a figure of speech, _Tin Man_. Did you hit your friggin head or something?" She shot back, her tone bordering on anger now as she stood up straighter. She hadn't done anything to bring about this line of questioning and that was all she needed to know. If he wanted to argue then so be it. "And what's got your gun-belt all up in a bunch this morning, anyway?"

Wyatt had just started to open his mouth and let hell fall from his lips, his face red and eyes impossibly blue...he was looking for a reason to vent at this point, her curious choice of words when he was already this suspicious of her was serving to open the gates….but Jeb knew that look.

"_Whoa, _Dad!_ Easy!" _Jeb called out as he quickly stepped between the two, putting his hands on his father's chest and staring up into his face, asking with concern in a hushed tone, "What's the _matter_ with you?"

DG was climbing from her seat, eyeing Wyatt in shock as she approached cautiously…but he didn't see it. He was still glaring down at the scowling blonde troublemaker past his son's shoulder, slowing his breathing before looking into the eyes of Jeb the dream-interrupter.

"Everybody_…_**out**." He ground out mere inches from his son's face, sidestepping Jeb and pointing over at Glitch as he stalked toward him. "You, _upstairs_. We need to talk."

Glitch yelped as he was snagged by an arm and hauled toward the staircase casting pleading looks at the girls over his shoulder.

"What was _that_ all about?" Jen asked in a huff as she watched them go.

"I don't have a clue." Jeb said honestly, looking back at Alisha as she glared up at the retreating form of his father. "Hey, I'm sure he didn't mean it to sound like that…" He soothed, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "He's probably just…_Alisha?_" He said in disbelief as she walked away from him, shaking her head as she exited the library.

Chelsea and Jessie were at her sides in an instant, asking her if she wanted some chocolate and ice-cream to make it all better as they cast looks of disapproval back up at Wyatt.

Erin arched a condemning brow, her jaw flexing impatiently as she remained. She waited for Glitch's pleading look to fall on her before pointing at her eyes with two fingers spread, then at his and back again, mouthing for him to find out what in the name of GALE was going on before walking out the door.

DG could barely make herself move. First she'd been given this phenomenal vision of Wyatt finally giving in to her, _could still taste his tongue in her mouth_…then the first meeting of the SPCA with its newest member, Glitch, had been walked in on and almost discovered for what it truly was by him…then he freaks out on Alisha and stalks away without a single explanation? She could barely even look at Nita as she led her out into the hall whispering that it would be just fine.

"Cain? Are you oka–" But that's as far as Glitch got before the Tin Man had spun on him, too.

"Where are those books, Glitch? We've got reading to do." Cain said in a short tone, pushing his way over to the table and finding the heavy volume still sitting among the stacks.

Glitch stared at him with worry creasing his face, wringing his hands and wishing at least some of the girls could have stayed behind, at least _Rose_…

"Wyatt, what's wrong wi–"

Cain slammed the book down, glaring over at the head-case in frustration as the sound echoed through the room. It was a long moment before he could even form words.

"I _screwed up_, okay?" He finally said, his features tensing painfully at the admission. "I went back to that damned magic shop and bought the pendant of the Charge for DG. I gave it to her; put it on around her neck and do you know what happened? I watched the little thing flicker as if a spell was being weaved. And last night? I had…._a dream_…" He looked down at the pages of strange characters desperately, pleading for one of them to look familiar to him.

Glitch approached him cautiously; slowly trying to get to the book since he knew Wyatt couldn't read any of it. "What kind of a…dream?" He asked quietly, flinching and taking a step back when Cain's red face turned to him in anger…

But before his very eyes that rage receded, slowly fading away to reveal what it had truly been concealing…

_Fear_.

They stared at one another for a moment in silence, Glitch awestricken by the rush of emotion he could see swirling behind those blue eyes. _Disappointment, worry, desperation, regret, frustration…_all of it boiling down to absolute and unbridled _terror_ that he'd unwittingly unleashed something that would bring harm to DG.

Wyatt ran a hand over his face and sank down into a chair beside the table, looking defeated as he confided the details of the dream to someone he avoided calling, but in actuality _was_, his friend.

Glitch didn't say a word as he chewed the inside of his cheek thoughtfully, his eyes carefully taking in the concern that was etched into every line of Wyatt's face until he'd finished recanting the visions that had plagued him in the night.

He stayed quiet for a while after all was said, playing it through his minds and finally asking, "Naked with wings, huh?"

Wyatt nodded, seemed he wasn't the only one that could find the presence of Nura to be understandable and disturbingly the idea of Wyatt and DG "_kissing_" (since that's as much information as he had given up) hadn't earned as much as a raised brow from the head-case.

"Alright, let's get to reading then…" Glitch conceded, pulling up a chair. He didn't want to lay all the cards on the table, knew that Wyatt would get defensive if he told him everything but he had to at least put his worries to rest. "Listen, Cain…I know you're worrying that this is some sort of love spell – but it's really not. It's simply what…well, what _Nura_ told you it was. These charms are a link to her magic, that's what is giving you the ability to feel when DG is in trouble. And her saying that DG belongs to you? I…may have an explanation for that…" He said, his eyes avoiding Wyatt's at all costs for that last part.

Cain tilted his head to the side, leaning his forearms on his knees and bracing for the worst.

"She might mean that DG is '_yours'_ because she is '_your'_ Charge….or it could be that she thinks history is repeating itself. You see…Nura and Othniel were lovers, as it turns out…." Glitch said, continuing to avert his eyes as Cain's mouth dropped open.

"When were you going to share _that_ bit of information?" He asked in disbelief.

"I knew you'd get all weird about it so I left it out." Glitch confessed and squinted, waiting for a slew of curses to erupt from the blonde at the end of the table. He was surprised to find Cain's features instead thoughtful, his lips pursed together as he thought through what he was hearing. With a sigh of relief Glitch continued. "The Charge pendant was created by Nura, but you already knew that much. What _is_ news is that when she created these charms it was just one strand in a web of many spells she had to unleash to protect herself and her children."

Wyatt looked up at those words, the slightest tinges of concern for the white witch of his dreams evident in his expression.

"I had to stop reading because this text keeps making reference to words for items of magic that I'm not familiar with; I'll have to find their meaning so that's where we can begin today. Apparently…let me see if I can find it…" His finger scanned the symbols as Cain dragged his chair closer. "Here it is, '_to battle the darkness the woman of white brought into being the na'hala'can'tien_' I have no idea what that is." Glitch said in disappointment. "But whatever it is it must have done the trick. There's a lot of mention about the _na'hala'can'tien_ 'driving back the darkness and so that the light could prevail'. Sounds like a tool or instrument of some type." He stood and wrung his hands, his eyes scanning the library. "Give me a few minutes." He said, wandering away and leaving Cain to stare at the unfamiliar text.

At least twenty minutes had passed as he moved shelf by shelf, pulling out books of various sizes in search of anything that could help. He was starting to feel overwhelmed by the task already. This could take _weeks_. "You know, it's a shame we can't share this with anyone, Cain. Having another set of eyes to help out would really speed this –"

"What in the…" Cain breathed and Glitch stopped, turning back to find Wyatt staring down at the book in shock.

"What is it?" Glitch asked, hurrying back to the table. "Cain?" He said, unsure of the way the Tin Man's mouth was hanging open in astonishment.

There, hand on the pendant, Cain sat staring down at the ancient language…watching the symbols on the page glimmer and shift in his perception into words that he could comprehend.

_In your hour of greatest need_…

"Holy…" Wyatt said in awe and swallowed hard. "I think you've got your second set of eyes, head-case." He said in an unsure tone, looking up at Glitch in confusion.

Glitch smiled. "I'm beginning to really like that pendant, Cain." He placed a few books on the table. "Here, just look for that weird symbol there and…"

"_Na'hala'can'tien…_Glitch_…_it's not a weird symbol to me..." Wyatt said as his eyes widened, his voice even more concerned now, it was downright panicked.

"That's wonderful – so what does it mean?" Glitch asked, looking down at the text over Wyatt's shoulder.

"It means…" He said, swallowing somehow past his concern. "The _winged_ ones…"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

Ooohhh.... Evil, evil cliffy LOL  
The plot bunny for Glitch joining the SPCA was provided by Isa, aka Queen Isabella ;) Thanks babe! 


	23. Na’ hahnon ta shauo’nee

At Cain's translation both of them had set out on a frantic mission, racing through the library, scouring the shelves for the oldest volumes in search of those pertaining to beings of magic. They'd each returned with armfuls of books, falling to silence as they hurriedly scanned the pages.

Cain was just starting to grow frustrated when the whispers came.

The sudden rigidity in the man beside him caused Glitch to turn, finding that Wyatt was still standing at the table, but his hand was hovering motionlessly above the stacks of books. Glitch's eyes widened in surprise finding that Wyatt had closed his own, his face tensed in concentration as his hand passed just above the leather bindings.

Softly at first the whispers spoke the name of the creatures he was looking for, then louder…louder still as he sought them out. His hand brushed over the third one in a stack, the whispers reaching a deafening volume and causing him to have to lean on the table for support.

"Cain!" Glitch said in a horrified tone, moving forward and gripping his arm. "Are you alright?"

Wyatt could only nod, his eyes opening slowly once the whispers grew less frantic. He pulled the book from the stack and both of them stared down at in shock. It hadn't caught Glitch's attention when he'd pulled the volume from the shelf, the gold accents of the red leather binding looking like random swirls given how quickly he was working….but there, amid the precious metal vines that adorned its cover, was the solitary figure of a winged woman.

With trembling hands Cain popped open the clasps that sealed the text, a giggle passing through the whispers only he could hear and causing his brow to arch. The pages were remarkably well preserved; time seemingly having no effect within the leather that encased them.

He flipped through several sheets of ancient symbols, somehow finding them unimportant…and nearly collapsing the instant his eyes fell on the sketched face from thousands of annuals past.

"Holy _**shit**_…" Glitch breathed, his eyes staring down at the page in astonishment.

_________________________________

The sound of those heavy boots marching down the hall could only mean one thing. DG rolled her eyes as the usual 30 guards that made up her security detail in the absence of Cain and Jeb entered the room with Wyatt at the lead.

"Jeb, I need you to come with me for a minute." Wyatt said the instant he entered the room, the slightest hint of concern in his voice and DG's eyes narrowed in on him suspiciously. _What the hell was going on around here today?_

But lest we forget, Jeb was currently less than pleased with his father. He crossed the room quickly, lowering his tone so that his words wouldn't reach DG; he knew they weren't going to be pleasant.

"Yeah? Well I need _you_ to refrain from being such a royal _**dick**_ to Alisha. What the fuck was that about? Now she's pissed off and not even talking to _**me**_!" Jeb snapped at his father, his features tensed in anger.

"I…well…there is…" Wyatt swallowed hard. He really didn't want to do this with so many guards at his back. With a motion of his hand they spread out around the perimeter of the room and took up positions outside the doorway, giving more privacy to the father and son. "There's a lot going on, Jeb…and I will explain, but you have to trust me on this and wait until we get back to the library."

Jeb glared up at his father in disgust. It was always, 'trust me' and 'be patient' and 'I have my reasons' and 'someday you'll understand'. Why couldn't his father ever just say what needed to be said when it needed to be heard. "Not until you say you're sorry." He said, crossing his arms over his chest defiantly.

Wyatt's brows drew together. "I'm sorry if she's mad at you, Jeb…it wasn't my intention to…"

"To HER." Jeb growled but watched the '_that's not gonna happen_' expression instantly come to his father's face.

"Come with me…" Wyatt said, dropping his tone to barely a whisper as he leaned closer. "She'll be there shortly." It hurt him deeply seeing his son's features contort in confusion and worry.

"What? _Why?_ What are you _doing_?" Jeb almost pleaded, staring up at his father as his arms fell to his sides.

"Jeb…" Wyatt said, closing his eyes for a second and begging for patience.

Thankfully his son was too fed up to try dragging the information out of him; he cut around him and stalked out into the hallway in frustration, leaving Wyatt to look around the room and find DG staring back at him with pained eyes. He took a deep breath to steady himself and turned on his heel, leaving the room quickly enough to send that duster whipping out behind him.

DG watched them go, looking over at Jessie worriedly. "He didn't even say good morning to me today." She whispered with her eyes tearing up.

"Shh…it's okay darling, you want to change from friend to more there's going to be a shift at some point. This is a good thing." Jessie soothed, giving DG's hand a squeeze of reassurance as the girls returned to their normal game.

"Ben and Jerry's ice cream." Jen moaned.

"My iPod…." Chelsea whined.

"My Blackberry." Sanela said with a sigh.

"The _internet_." Flo cried in anguish and immediately everyone was murmuring their agreement.

"Sweet fluffy lord, _fan fiction!_" Rhonda sobbed and the other girls nodded.

"McDonald's french-fries." Lisa said, leaning back on the chair as the girls all sighed at the memory.

"Cable television…" Sarah added.

"The mall." Rose whimpered.

"Video games…" Nita said, curling up on the other side of Jessie on the couch.

_________________________________

Jeb pushed the doors to the library, spinning back to face his father the instant he heard them close behind him.

"What is it this time, Dad? What could possibly be going on in that suspicious mind of yours now?" Jeb demanded and Wyatt shook his head, walking past his son and starting up the stairs. Jeb instantly fell in behind him. "_Still_ nothing? _Still_ gonna make me wait? Once a Tin Man, _always_ a Tin Man."

Wyatt ignored his son's goading, dragging a chair over beside the table and motioning for him to take a seat. Jeb rolled his eyes and gave in, glaring up at his father and crossing his arms over his chest again. It was his defensive posture; he always fell back on it, even as a boy.

"Jeb, I wanted to ask you a few questions about Alisha." Wyatt began; running a hand over his face and wondering what he could possibly ask that would result in the answers he was seeking. "Is there anything…do you notice anything…_different_ about her, I mean as opposed to other women?"

His son's face contorted in a mixture of confusion and outrage. "What the _fuck_? Is this some kind of intervention? Are you asking me why I'm with her since she and you don't get along or something? Dad, I swear to _God_ if that's what this is…."

But Glitch stepped out from behind a book case at this point, bringing a few volumes over to the table and cutting in. "Any strange markings or…" Glitch gave Wyatt a look that clearly said, '_additional_ _appendages?_'

Jeb groaned impatiently, running both hands over his face and pleading for these two to just spit it out already. "**No**, no strange markings, she's got body art but that's about it; calls them 'tattoos'. You guys _do_ know she's not even _from_ the OZ, right?"

Glitch and Wyatt exchanged a look at that, but said nothing.

"Just try and think for a minute. Any strange behavior or words she might use…things she says in her sleep…_anything_ out of the ordinary?" Wyatt asked with his face tensed thoughtfully.

Jeb decided to amuse himself at this point, why not? They were getting on his last nerve.

"Well, there is one thing…no other girl I've been with has done it…." He said, acting as if something had just occurred to him. The other two were leaning forward expectantly in a fraction of a second. "See she can do this thing with her tongue that has me screaming like a little girl – we're talking loud enough to wake half the palace. It _has_ to be dark magic; I mean it feels like she's…"

Wyatt's hand swatted him in the back of the head before he could continue, his eyes rolling in disgust as Jeb snickered.

"What? What do you want to know?" Jeb asked through his laughter, it was too priceless to see his father's face change to red that fast.

Glitch was looking around them distractedly, he and Ambrose likely having a battle for control of the situation. "Tell us about the '_tattoos'_." He finally said, taking a seat across from Jeb and clasping his hands in front of himself patiently.

"Do I _need_ to tell you that it's more than a little creepy how interested you guys suddenly are in my girlfriend's body?" Jeb asked with a smirk, looking back and forth between the two.

"_**Girlfr**_—" Wyatt began with a shocked expression, _when had it moved past fun? Where the hell had he been for that?_ He shook his head to get a grip on it and managed. "Just answer the damned question."

"Well she's not shy, I'm sure if you bring her in here she'll show you." Jeb grinned at the redness in his father's cheeks again. "Alright, fine. She's into fairies and stuff. Has a little one on her stomach…" He didn't note the confusion on Glitch and his father's faces at the unfamiliar word. "And has fairy wings on her back."

He could have sworn Wyatt's jaw dislocated at that statement.

"What?" He asked after several moments of them sitting in stunned silence. "What's the big deal?"

"Jeb, what is a '_fairy'_?" Glitch asked in a completely serious tone, somehow managing to speak with his mouth still trying to hang open.

"It's what they call this creature from storybooks on the other side. They're supposed to be these magical little women with wings." Jeb said, now totally perplexed as to why this was so interesting for them. "That's it – no more questions until one of you tell me what this is all about." He said, and watched his flabbergasted father approach and reach out for the book sitting beside him on the table.

He flipped to the fifth page and sighed, spinning the book and pushing it close enough for Jeb to focus on it.

"Holy _**shit**_…" Jeb breathed and Glitch nodded that that's exactly what he'd said. He sat in shock, looking at the obvious age of the text and floored to find Alisha's face staring back at him, wings outstretched behind her with that same mischievous smile set on her lips. He finally managed with a smirk, "They got the ass all wrong."

The doors being nearly knocked off their hinges drew all of their attention to the library below.

"You put one more finger on me and I swear to _Christ_ I'm gonna cut it off, fuck-mook!"

Jeb grinned. "Oh _look_, Alisha's here." He said in a chipper tone, laughing at his father's grimace.

Alisha was glaring up at several of the guards as she yanked herself from their grasp, smoothing her hair and dress, turning and casting a look up at Wyatt that could have reduced the palace to rubble.

"_YOU_." She growled, pointing up at the Tin Man before grabbing handfuls of the front of her dress and stalking up the stairs toward him.

Wyatt could only grit his teeth in regret as he watched her hurriedly approach. He'd been so flustered when he gave the order for her to be brought to the library he hadn't taken the time to explain that it was only for a conversation – the guards had brought her in like a suspect for interrogation and he could feel the guilt coiling up in his stomach for it.

"If she decks you I'm just gonna laugh my ass off." Jeb said, staying in his seat and leaving his father to deal with the outraged blonde that was charging his way.

"I don't know what _crawled_ up your ass about me today Tin Man but whatever it is you better speak your piece in a _serious_ freaking hurry!" She screamed, stopping mere inches from the man despite his extreme size advantage.

So what if she was short enough for him to rest his arm on her head comfortably? She was angry now – that evened the score in her eyes.

Wyatt just stared down at her, a million thoughts passing through him in that moment. _She had absolutely no fear of him, was ready to charge right in to face him no matter who he was_…her scowling red face stared back up at him as he tilted his head to the side thoughtfully, his crystal eyes passing over her enraged features as he studied her. She was something far beyond strong willed, this one. As much as he didn't want to admit it, in that second he came to terms with his honest initial reasoning behind cringing at her interest in his son. _She was everything he could have hoped for in a wife for Jeb…a mother to his future grandchildren…and that meant Jeb's childhood really was over_. The truth of the matter was he could think of no better qualities in a woman for his son, she possessed all of them. He'd never say it, of course, but despite the fact that she was currently ready to belt him in the face (or because of it) she had just earned his respect and approval.

"Take a seat, Alisha." He said in a softened tone, motioning to the chair beside him and watching as her features flinched slightly in response. She'd been expecting a fight; the borderline apologetic quality of his voice caught her completely off guard. Whilst still staring up at him in confusion she sat down. "Your '_tattoos'_, did they have any particular significance to you when you got them? I mean your choices in what to get, what swayed those decisions?"

Alisha's brow arched extremely slowly, her head turning toward Jeb with a look of complete puzzlement. Firstly, why the hell was his father grilling her about her tattoos? Secondly, why the _hell_ had he been discussing her tattoos with his _father_? She watched him shrug and shake his head, motioning for her to just go ahead and answer.

Looking back up into the face of Wyatt she sighed and leaned back in the chair, rubbing her chin as she eyed him appraisingly. "You're a _strange _bird, you know that? Alright…I can't understand why you could _possibly_ want to know this…and you _still_ owe me an apology…" she said, pointing up at him sternly. "But I can only assume you think your reasoning is valid, so I'll take mercy on you. To answer your questions: I just have an affinity for fairies, that's all. Ever since I was little I've always loved them. There are some really talented artists on the other side who paint and sketch amazing renditions that just captivate me. I've always loved the image, the thought of that absolute freedom, the ability to fly away at any given moment. My dreams have been like that all of my life so I figured these were appropriate." She watched Wyatt chewing the inside of his cheek, his fingers brushing over something hidden from her view at the neckline of his shirt distractedly. "So…next question is? I'm ready whenever you are." She said, waiting for him to continue.

Wyatt pulled a chair over and sat down, scratching his chin thoughtfully as Glitch and Jeb continued to stare at her.

"Your dreams…tell me about them." Wyatt said, and she shook her head and laughed at how strange this line of questioning was becoming, as well as how genuine his tone sounded in that moment. The guy was a piece of work, she'd give him that; one minute he was all angry, the next he was treating her like a daughter.

"_Okay_…they're just flying dreams, you know? Everyone has them." Those blue eyes just gazed back at her in response, the slightest reassuring smile tugging at the corners of his mouth telling her that he needed to know more. "Umm…" She shrugged and closed her eyes, sighing in confusion at his request as she recalled in vivid detail the dream she'd spent half her life within but had never tried to describe to anyone before. "I'm in the forest…and it's _beautiful_…pure…no noise or smog or people…and the sun is shining so brightly it makes everything seem white…" Her voice was changing pitch even as she spoke, her breathing becoming shallow as her body relaxed. "I can feel it on my skin, it's warm and welcoming…it _whispers_ to me…and the ocean is lapping at the shore…and then I'm flying…I can see for miles in all directions…and there is a voice speaking to me, calling me home to the shore…" She opened her eyes looking dazed, her lids now heavy. "And then I wake up."

Glitch walked over to her, putting a hand on her own as he knelt down beside her. "Alisha, I need you to close your eyes for me again and remember the sensation of flying, can you do that?" He asked, and in her dreamlike state she could only nod and comply. Glitch cast father and son a worried look, then watched the features of her face slowly relax at the memory. He left her there for several moments, watching her eyes roll beneath their lids as she was drawn back into the world of her dreams. "_Na'hala'can'tien…" _He whispered.

"_An shauo ton ree le mor Nura…_" She breathed, her voice taking on that melodic quality that set hairs on end as she spoke the words with ease and the three men stared at one another in astonishment.

Glitch swallowed, somehow, looking back at her and trying to think of something to ask her. This was a dead language – hadn't been spoken in thousands of years – he couldn't begin to know how far off his pronunciation would be. It was a slow process, his voice shaking unsteadily as he tried to ask her to explain. "_Na le mor Nura…youwa eta na le mor Nura luth?" _He said quietly, hoping to keep her in this state as long as possible.

He watched her features tense determinedly at his question, her hand beneath his balling into a fist. "_Na'can'te'ta'__**howlameed**__…" _She seethed, her voice entwined with those of several others, and the instant the name fell from her lips Glitch cried out in agony and pulled his hand away from hers.

"Whoa!" Wyatt yelled, him and Jeb were on their feet in an instant, the noise bringing Alisha back out of her dream, looking around herself in puzzlement as they rushed Glitch. "What happened?" Wyatt asked, grabbing Glitch's hand and looking down at it worriedly. The skin was…_blistered_…."What in the…what did she say?" He demanded, looking into the head-case's teary eyes.

"What did who say?" Alisha asked, finding no other woman in the room.

They ignored her question for the time being.

"I spoke the name, '_the winged ones_' and she replied, '_shine brightly in their protection of Nura'_, as if it is a greeting or something. When I asked her who they protected Nura from…she said '_the one of __**blackness**_**'**…her hand was like touching lava, Cain…I don't…check her temperature." Glitch told Jeb, the Tin Man still looking down at his injuries in concern as he whimpered in pain.

"Check whose temperature? What the _hell_ are you guys talking about?" Alisha was yelling as she climbed to her feet, Jeb at her side quickly pressing a hand to her forehead. "_I'm_ fine, what is wrong with _you_?" She asked, pushing his hand from her face.

"You're _not_ fine." Jeb whispered, turning her to face the chair she'd just risen from and finding the wood scorched severely.

"What the _fuck_…" She breathed, leaning back against Jeb as he put an arm around her.

"She's back to normal. Can I recommend if you try that again we have a hose ready?" He said in a voice strained by fear as his father wrapped Glitch's hand in cloth.

"Will someone _please_ tell me what the hell just happened?" Alisha whispered, tearing her stricken eyes from the burnt chair and facing the Tin Man who was watching her.

Wyatt looked at her in that second with an expression that took several seconds to read. _Concern, fear, regret, reassurance_…how was he able to convey so much with those eyes alone peering out beneath the brim of his hat? He turned back to the table, picking up the book and approaching her slowly. With a sigh he opened to the page with the portrait of her likeness, handing it over to her and watching her eyes widen in surprise. "What is this?" She asked, leaning more heavily on Jeb for support.

"This…is a text from the ancients…and it speaks about creatures of magic made to battle a darkness that tried to harm the first white witch of the OZ." Wyatt said softly, pulling his pendant free and holding it out for inspection, somehow feeling that she had a right to see it. "Those creatures…were linked to this."

Alisha's features relaxed at the sight of it, she reached out and traced the symbol with her fingertips slowly, the whispers returning in Wyatt's perception and speaking her name to him as the charm emitted a soft white glow. She could only stare at it for several moments, listening to it speaking to her subconscious as her vision blurred.

Finally she shook her head and regained her composure. "So what does any of this have to do with me? I mean…so what if the picture does look sorta like me….well, other than the ass..." Jeb motioned emphatically that he'd said the same exact thing. "I'm not even _from_ the OZ, my family is from the other side and could be traced back for centuries with ease." She insisted.

"We're…_unn_…working on that…" Glitch said, his pain evident in his voice and all three of the others turned to find him sweating, holding his arm at the wrist as if trying to stop the throbbing pain from radiating any further.

"Jeb, go get Raw and bring him back here." Wyatt said in an urgent tone. With a nod to his father and a kiss to the side of Alisha's head he was out the door in a flash.

They sat in silence waiting for Jeb's return, Alisha looking down at the thick volume skeptically and chewing the inside of her cheek, trying to ignore how familiar the image was to her. Only occasionally did her gaze wander to the injuries of Glitch's hand and the burnt chair. She still couldn't deal with the fact that either was caused by her and decided denial was a happy alternative for the moment.

Raw entered the door with Jeb hot on his trail, racing up the stairs and stopping beside Alisha, casting her a probing look before reaching out for Glitch's hand.

"It's still really sore so I would appreciate if…ouch! _Easy!_" He complained as Raw removed the bandages and pressed his own palm to the wound. Glitch whimpered and covered his face with his free hand, hissing in pain as the burn slowly healed at Raw's touch.

"Who cause burn?" Raw asked when he was finished, but his accusatory glare was only on one person as he said it.

Wyatt couldn't believe he was stepping in front of her in that moment as if shielding a child from a reprimand he didn't feel she deserved, his action alleviating some of the fear and guilt she was feeling over it being caused by her somehow. "Raw…I need you to read Alisha…but firstly…can you heal yourself?" He asked, finding it to be a reasonable question.

Raw nodded and eyed Alisha appraisingly past Wyatt's arm. "She different….could see right away…light inside her now…_hot_ light…" He said, finally looking up into Wyatt's eyes. "I can heal own wounds…"

"_Read me?_ Oh, what the hell?" She groaned, looking to Glitch for support. "Are you guys sure this is a good idea?" She whispered, she had no idea what was going on or what was wrong with her, was already chalking it up to drinking the water since she came to the OZ.

"It'll be fine." Glitch assured her, but the hesitance in his reaching out to give her hand a squeeze of reassurance did not go unnoticed.

"I'm apparently speaking in tongues and catching shit on fire. How is that 'fine'? Sounds like I need an old priest and a young priest if you ask me." She pouted, but seeing the confused look from the others she just sighed. "I'm guessing none of you have seen the Exorcist, huh?"

Glitch hurriedly found a mirror amid the piles of nick-knacks he collected for experiments and inventions, bringing it over and propping it up beside the scorched chair. After checking to make sure that it wouldn't collapse he motioned for her to take a seat.

"Just close your eyes, it tingles a bit when he does this." Glitch offered and she cast a look up at Wyatt.

"Alright, but if you see anything pornographic in there I gotta say I'm sorry in advance." She said with a grin and Jeb covered his mouth to prevent laughing.

Wyatt shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment and praying the images inside this girl's head wouldn't traumatize him too badly. Her gasp caused him to look back, finding that Raw had already begun the connection.

Images came in blurs, _an impossibly dark and crowded city, fights and people screaming…a strip club filled with nude female dancers…Alisha was there as a patron, tipping the girls, clapping and whistling, joking around and drinking with a group of guys…_

Wyatt's brow arched, his face twisted in surprise as he looked over at Jeb. His son only gave a nervous laugh and shrugged, turning back to the images and avoiding his eyes at all costs. The sound of metal and glass crunching drew Wyatt's gaze back to the mirror.

_A travel storm was bearing down on her as she raced to escape it, streams of panicked curses were falling from her lips as cars were ripped from the street mere feet behind her, she dropped to the pavement to avoid a mailbox that was hurtling directly for her, it was all for naught, after fighting as hard as she could to get away she was sucked backward into the cyclone, screaming at the top of her lungs above the howling winds_…

Raw's expression became more severe as he pressed on past these surface memories, going deeper, finding an entire realm of knowledge within the light. The instant that familiar giggle filled the air it had Wyatt's full attention. The image of the OZ passing beneath her as she flew at dizzying heights brought him, Glitch and Jeb a few steps closer_. She landed atop a tree, crouching down and looking out at the distant shoreline as a voice sang to her, calling her home_.

Glitch was covering his eyes now at her nudity, Wyatt rubbing his face and casting his son uncomfortable looks as if to say '_please keep in mind that I __**really**__ don't want to be seeing this_'.

"We need to ask her to show us what it is she was created to fight; what her purpose is." Glitch whispered, peeking at the mirror between his fingers to see if she was clothed yet. "If we find that out we'll have a better chance of understanding why she's here now. Should I try?"

Wyatt nodded slowly, it was after all, the reason he'd asked if Raw could heal himself.

Glitch knelt down in front of her again, keeping his eyes on her and not her nude image in the mirror and taking great care in not touching her as he spoke – the first time had been painful enough. "I'm going to ask her who she was created to battle…" He said softly over his shoulder to Cain, waiting for another nod before turning back to face her. "_Annohl kon na chee soo kathal?" _He whispered, wringing his hands worriedly as her body began to tense again.

"_Na'can'te'ta'__**howlameed**__…"_ She answered, Glitch translating in time with her words.

"The one of the blackness…" He said softly.

"_Na'__** hahnon**__ ta shauo'nee…" _She hissed.

Glitch's brows drew together worriedly as he whispered. "The devourer of shining light…" Within an instant he could feel the heat rolling from her as the vision in the mirror changed to darkness.

_An image of her filled the screen, white lines covering her face and body like war paint, her breathing heavy and features twisted in rage as she raced through the woods toward the temple with thousands of others like herself, each of them taking flight the instant they'd cleared the tree-line, soaring headlong into what appeared to be a massive black cloud undulating across the ocean, bearing down on Nura's home_…

_Red eyes, fangs…talons and scales filled the glass, a deafening roar and blinding light flashing across the mirror_ as it shattered and fell to the floor.

Raw released his hold of her and cried out, he'd held on as long as possible and was now hurriedly trying to heal the wounds resulting from the contact.

But she wasn't waking up this time.

White light was slowly rolling outward from her like flames, licking across the floor. The wood creaked and groaned; the chair beneath her snapping and falling to the floor as she remained in place.

"Dad!" Jeb shouted, pointing at Glitch as the light nearly came in contact with his knees.

Wyatt gripped the back of Glitch's jacket and hauled him away from it, his eyes wide and panicked.

"Wake her up!" Glitch called out as he struggled to get back to his feet but it was no use, Jeb couldn't get close to her now, the heat too painful to endure. Even her dress was smoking now, the material unable to withstand the rapidly rising temperature.

"How did she wake up before?" Jeb screamed back in terror after several failed attempts to call her name and reach her. He snatched up the red leather book from the edge of the table, staring at it in astonishment as the wood blackened and smoked as if engulfed in flames instead of white light.

Wyatt could hear the whispers again, swirling in his mind in response to the question. "ALISHA, WAKE UP!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

Her eyes opened at that with a gasp, the light retreating back inside of her as she fell to the singed floor coughing and sputtering for air.

"Alisha? _Alisha?_" Jeb called in panic as he skidded across the floor on his knees to her side, waiting for her to look up at him in confusion. "She's back." He called over his shoulder.

"What the hell…" Alisha groaned, sitting up and looking around herself in disbelief. "Whose brilliant idea was this again?" She asked, lifting her hands and finding them covered in the ash that made up the only remnants of the chair she'd been seated on. "_Othniel_…" She breathed distractedly, recalling how she'd come back from her dream, her face took on a look of puzzlement as she stared at Wyatt. "Who the hell is Othniel and why did I hear him screaming?"

Glitch's jaw fell open as he looked over at Raw, both of their guilty eyes wandering to Wyatt.

"Where did that pendant come from, Tin Man?" She asked suspiciously as she got to her feet, finding her dress in tatters and rolling her eyes. "I'd say you guys have _**a lot**_ of explaining to do." She said, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at them. "I'm missing a whole lot of pieces to the bigger picture and if we're not all on the same page nobody is going to figure anything out around here."

So they started filling in the blanks as she sat in Jeb's lap with him picking bits of ash from her hair. The royal guard had long since charged in thinking the palace was burning down and had been sent on their way by Wyatt. The more she heard the more questions she had, but she held off until the story had been told.

"And you didn't tell DG that the pendant warns you of danger?" She asked Wyatt and watched him shake his head, his cheeks darkening slightly as he recalled the part of the dream he hadn't shared with anyone. "Alright…but nothing I've heard has explained how I, a person from the other side, has anything to do with any of this." She said, looking over at Glitch as he scanned through the contents of the red leather book.

"So let's read then – seems like every time we've hit a road block so far we've found answers in the texts." He said, finding a passage and giving them a summary of what he was reading. "The winged ones were beings of light, free spirits by their very nature, creatures of mischief and pleasure seekers. They were the creators of the first berry wines of the OZ, loved to drink and play and dance with the other creatures of the forest…" Alisha nodded that at least that part was accurate. "They were especially captivated by mortal men, singing to them and seducing them whenever they wandered into the woods. As this became known men began seeking them out, entering the forest in search of them. Nura allowed them to take lovers; she found it only fair to allow them a chance at joy for their protection of her and her family…wait…all of this text is speaking about them in the past tense…" Glitch realized. "It was written after they disappeared or were no longer found…I wonder why that is…." He thought aloud as he skimmed the page. "Oh…okay, after Nura and Othniel and their children's children's children had passed the winged ones were still alive, their lives were far longer than those of mortals and they had lost their sense of purpose without the draw to their mistress. They wept for her, their joint sadness caused…" Glitch's eyes widened in surprise, "_terrible storms_…"

Wyatt sat up a little straighter at this. "Travel storms…" He breathed.

Glitch nodded. "The winged ones were created from something Nura found in nature…it would make sense that they could change things like the weather with their magic."

"But don't _people_ summon travel storms with _machines_?" Alisha asked in confusion.

"They can, but the machines are only meant to duplicate a natural occurrence. So they were taking travel storms to the other side…I wonder…they were creatures of light thrown into the darkness of the storm…what if when they arrived on the other side they were merged into one being?" He said and watched Alisha smirk.

"I am a whole lot of woman, but I don't know about all that." She teased. "And let's keep in mind here; with all this talk of long lives, I'm just as mortal as the next girl."

"But if they were breeding with mortal men on the other side maybe it bred the extended life expectancy out of their race through the centuries." Jeb offered.

"Would make sense." Glitch said as he nodded, "Well, I had been working on a theory, before the whole…" he pointed at his zipper, "thing. When a solution was sought for a way to stop them I postulated that travel storms might be drawn to magic. Even with Dorothy Gayle, not DG, but her ancestor…she arrived here from the other side but as she aged her magic became apparent – the same magic which has been passed to DG and Azkadellia – the white magic of the OZ. Dorothy was drawn here by a travel storm during the reign of evil witches…what if she was an ancestor of Nura? What if somewhere along the line a white witch traveled to the other side and the storms brought Dorothy back to the OZ to protect it? What if these naturally occurring travel storms are all linked to magic when the need arises? This leads me to the part that worries me…" He said, looking over at Alisha and Wyatt. "The resurfacing of those pendants and your presence here, Alisha, they seem to be gearing toward something. Nura had a great gift of sight, what if she had her magic woven through time, what if she were in some way responsible for travel storms and the winged ones abilities to create them if the need for their protection arose?"

"I don't like where this is heading." Wyatt said quietly.

"What if you were drawn here and those pendants made themselves known because this 'blackness' is coming back?" Glitch finished and Wyatt groaned.

"I'm not cool with that." Alisha said and shook her head, as if her saying no would change anything.

"It doesn't make any sense for all of this to be happening at the same time without a reason for it, it's too big to be a coincidence." Glitch said and watched Alisha and Wyatt both eyeing him skeptically. "Alisha, when you came to the OZ what drew you to the royal palaces? You were transferred here from the evil witch's fortress, but why were you there in the first place?" He asked and watched her squirm uncomfortably.

"I don't know, great benefits?" She tried but Glitch gave her a disbelieving look in response. "I just…liked the palace."

"The same way you '_liked'_ fairies?" Glitch asked and she scowled at him before grudgingly nodding in agreement. "Why did the witch permit your presence there, I wonder? Did she ever allow any of the long-coats to be intimate with you?" He asked.

Alisha, Wyatt and Jeb's eyes all widened in shock, the men both really, _really_ not wanting to hear the answer to that question – if it was 'yes' they'd both be out of the palace by nightfall in search of the offender. She felt Jeb's arms tighten around her ever so slightly.

"You are just getting _all types_ of personal today, aren't you?" She asked in a shrill tone.

"I…didn't…I…don't mean to…" Glitch stammered in embarrassment, he'd just been following a train of thought and wanted to see if a theory was accurate. The Ambrose side of him still wanted to know the answer and pressed on. "But she didn't, _did she?_" He said with a knowing smile, his confidence restored. "She kept them away from you even though they were used to taking any woman they wanted."

Alisha flustered at this, starting to speak several times before finally giving up and nodding.

"So she didn't want your magic to taint her guards – to turn their loyalty to you in her stead…but she wanted you to stay there…so this blackness was something she herself wouldn't be able to ward off if it came calling. That's amusing…but also deeply disturbing." Glitch said thoughtfully.

Alisha reached out for the book, taking it from him and spinning it to face her despite her inability to read the symbols. "Well you're forgetting one thing…" She said, flipping through the pages quickly. "I am not the only maid that was transferred from the witch's fortress, and the long-coats weren't allowed to touch any of us…we're all slippers and…." Her hand froze on the page, her eyes widening in surprise. "And I'll be damned we aren't all winged ones." She said with a laugh, handing the book back to Glitch and Wyatt after Jeb had seen what caught her eye.

"Son of a bitch." Wyatt swore as he looked down at a page halfway through the book…

And found the faces of the maids staring back at him.


End file.
